


Bucky Barnes Oneshots

by Redgillan



Series: Super Soldiers Oneshots [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1940s, Alternate Universe - Police, Angst, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, POV Second Person, Police Officer James Barnes, Smut, Warnings at the beginning of each fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2018-08-16 18:13:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 61,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8112352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redgillan/pseuds/Redgillan
Summary: A collection of oneshots from my tumblr.I just needed a place where they could all stay together :)(* are for smut)





	1. Dream House

**Author's Note:**

> Angst 500 words  
> Dabble based on Till Then by the Mills Brothers ‘cause they are freaking awesome.

♫ _Till then, my darling, please wait for me  
Till then, no matter when it may be _ ♫

Bucky held you tighter against him, rocking back and forth to the rhythm of the song that blasted through the radio on the kitchen counter. It was his last night in Brooklyn. Sergeant James Barnes of the one-o-seventh had to leave first thing in the morning.

You were not ready to let him go, afraid of what might happen if you did. He clasped you to his chest, rubbing his chin against your hair as you buried your face in his uniform. You could feel the soft vibrations of his chest as he hummed the song.

♫ _One day I know I’ll be home again  
Please wait till then _ ♫

You listened to the beating of his heart and tried to remember it. The idea that his heart might stop beating terrified you. It made your knees weak, you cried in muffled sobs against his uniform, staining the olive jacket with your tears.

His right hand cradled the back of your head, his fingers caressing your hair. He whispered sweet nothings and promises he hoped he could keep. You tightened the grip around his waist, his words wrenched open a hole in your heart. The life he was imagining was more likely going to remain a fantasy.

♫ _Our dreams will live though we are apart  
Our love will always stay in our hearts_ ♫

He folded you into his arms, his feet and hips stopped moving a while ago. He closed his eyes shut, and breathed in your familiar scent. It enveloped him like a warm, protecting blanket. You swallowed hard, realising he needed to convince himself that everything would be fine, that he would come back and make all his dreams come true.

So you played along, you both needed this fictional life. You described the house you wanted to buy, the garden, the children, the lazy Sundays and busy Mondays. Eyes closed, you both imagined it and smiled at the life you were living in your head. Your daydream threatened to swallow you whole.

  
♫ _Till then, when of the world will be free  
Please wait for me_ ♫

The sun slowly rose. He showered your face with quick kisses, before your lips met for one final passionate kiss. You refused to let him go, you simply couldn’t. You ran your fingers through his hair, the military hat fell to the ground. His fingers caressed your face, trying to remember every contour, every expression.

You did the same. He was so handsome, so tragically broken and his blue eyes sparkled with wetness. He was fighting for what was right, for a better world. You took a deep breath, gathering your strength before you let him go.

“I’ll see you every night,” He smiled weakly and cupped your face in his large calloused hands. “In our house.” He kissed your temple, lingering a bit before he pulled away and left.


	2. Fair Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for Marvel Writing Challenge. Prompt: Corn Maze  
> Reader gets lost in a corn maze while chasing a criminal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,861 words  
> Language, Violence, Fluff

 

It was Hell on Earth.

People were screaming everywhere, but it was nothing compared to the loud squeaking noise of the machines and the reeking, hot scent of butter and sugar. _The fair_ …, you shivered.

Families and groups of friends were happily running around, making you feel dizzy as you tried to find your target. You wanted to push everyone out of your way, but instead you dodged between them. You stopped to have a good look around at your surroundings, turning on yourself in the crowd.

Soon people started to raise eyebrows as they walked past you, their eyes scanned you from head to toe. You rolled your eyes, choosing to focus on your mission rather than their sly smirks.

Yes, you were wearing a tight spandex black suit, so what? It was your battle outfit and it made you feel confident and strong. The kind of feelings that make saving the world a bit less stressful.

“I lost him, he was heading for the wheel.” Natasha said through the com, she was obviously running.

The wheel was at the other end of the fair, where Steve was supposed to be. “Cap?” You called out twice.

“Kinda distracted at the moment.” He replied, talking over the uproar of people cheering in the background. “You know what happens when a man dressed as a flag enters a fair?” He asked sarcastically and before you could reply Tony interrupted.

“Is it the same thing that happens when a guy walks into a fair wearing a gold titanium alloy? ‘Cause I might have a slight idea.” He remarked in the same tone.

“Enough with selfies, we have work to do!” Sam grumbled and you saw him fly above your head, heading straight to the wheel.

You could have sworn that Tony muttered a _he’s just jealous_ and you would have said something, but the dangerous criminal was standing in front of you. You immediately ran after him.

“I have eyes on the target.” Your voice was breathless. “He’s- _oh, shit_!” You gasped out loud, scaring your fellow teammates.

“Y/n, talk to me! What’s going on?” Steve shouted.

“He’s just entered a _fucking_ corn maze.” You explained, following the man with apprehension.

Your teammates asked you to be careful, Sam mentioned he was on his way. You mentally cursed yourself for following without backup.

You turned at a corner, your gun raised high. Your eyes quickly scanned your surroundings, but no one was there. It was nerve-racking. Your hands were shaking with concentration and fear. A corn grazed your shoulder making you jump out of your skin, your index finger tickling the trigger.

“Sam, I saw four birds fly over me. Where the hell are you?” You muttered under your breath, slapping the facetious corn out of your way.

“Wings are down.” He replied out of breath. He must have flown into something.

You realised that you were now on your own and swallowed nervously before you continued to walk deeper into the maze. The day was waning, the sun was setting and the dusk cast ominous shadows over the corn maze. Slowly, you moved forward when a man holding a chainsaw came out of nowhere.

You closed your eyes shut and screamed, the sound echoing around the maze. The man covered with fake blood shouted louder until he noticed your gun and backed off, tripping over his own feet in his haste.

“Don-don’t hurt me!” He discarded the chainsaw and put his hands up in surrender.

You had been about a hair away from pulling the trigger and sighed forcefully when you understood he was just an employee.

“I could have killed you!” You didn’t notice that the earpiece that maintained contact with the other Avengers had fallen to the ground. “Go!” You waved your gun towards the corner and he ran away.

You were shaking with fear and anger. Soon it would be too dark to see anything and you were alone, looking for a dangerous criminal while also avoiding the employees covered in fake blood.

A muffled sound reached your ears, you vaguely recognised your name but thought that it was just a trick of the wind. You thought it was weird that you haven’t heard from your teammates in a while. You put your hand to your ear and sighed when you couldn’t feel the earpiece.

“Of course… Okay, so this is how I die,” You accepted what seemed to be your fate. “Alone and scared in a corn maze. This is some serious horror movie plot.” You talked to yourself.

You kept your gun high and turned yet another corner when you ended up face-to-face with a man who was pointing his rifle barrel at you. It took you a second to recognise him and when it finally clicked, he had already lowered his weapon and was walking towards you.

Bucky took your face between his hands and studied your features, searching for any sign of pain. When he only found confusion and fear, he pulled you into a tight hug. You were stiff in his arms, partly because your mind was still focused on the mission, but mostly because Bucky had never shown this kind of affection to anyone before.

He cradled the back of your head with his metal hand as he whispered into your ear. “I thought you were dead.” He stroked your hair, pressing your closer to his chest. You hugged him back and he pulled himself together, releasing you abruptly.

“I-I’m not.” You stuttered, unsure of what just happened or how to react.

You’d be lying if you said you never fantasized about the long haired soldier on more than one occasion. Never in your wildest dream would you have imagined that Bucky shared your affection, but perhaps you were wrong.

“Heard you scream and then I found this.” He gave you the earpiece without looking at you.

“Thank you.” You were bent over at the waist, with your hands braced on your knees. You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself.

“You okay?” He kept his distance but raised a concern brow.

“Yeah,” You dismissed his worries with a wave of your hand before straightening up. “Just promise me we won’t die in a fucking maze.”

“Promise.” He chuckled with a slight shake of his head when you raised your left hand, pinky finger in the air. He took a step forward and wrapped his pinky finger around yours.

You smiled at each other for a moment. You had to fight the urge to lean forward and kiss him, even though his curved bottom lip begged to be sucked.

“If you guys are done, you could catch the dude we’ve been chasing for over an hour.” Sam’s bitter voice came through the earpiece. “But that’s just a suggestion.” He taunted.

You and Bucky looked up to see Redwing flying above the maze. Bucky raised his rifle and aimed at the little device Sam cherished. You quickly covered his hand with yours, stopping him before he could pull the trigger.

“If you do that, we’ll never hear the end of it.” You reasoned him.

“Yeah, Barnes! Listen to your girlfriend.” Bucky’s jaw clenched at Sam’s words, but he lowered his gun. “That being said, if you turn right at the next corner you’ll find the target.”

Thanks to Redwing, you found and neutralised the target. Bucky punched him in the face with his metal fist before he threw the unconscious man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“A little help, Sam?” You were trying to make your way back to the entrance of the maze.

“Sorry Y/n, but Barnes was about to shoot my Redwing so you guys are on your own.”

“Nothing happened to your precious bird, Sam. Stop being a child.”

“Tough luck!” He cackled before the com went silent.

You went around in circles with Bucky and the unconscious villain still slung over Bucky’s shoulder. You were completely lost. The moon light cast a soft glow across the corn maze as the wind brought the distant screams and loud music.

“Left or right?” You asked Bucky once you reached a crossroads.

“Right.” A tired voice rose.

“No one asked you.” You punched the criminal in the face, knocking him down.

“Left.” You and Bucky said at the same time, chuckling softly as you continued to look for the exit.

You noticed that Bucky kept glancing at you and bit your bottom lip to hide your smile. Bucky tried to put his feelings into words, it had been a very long time since he had been even remotely attracted to someone.

“I like you.” He finally blurted out, making you stop mid-step. He turned around with the man still over his shoulder and faced you. “When I heard you scream-” He cut himself off and cleared his throat to hide the emotion in his voice. “I thought I lost you. You mean the world to me, and I think it’s about damn time you should know that.” He looked straight into your eyes.

“I like you too.” You chuckled when he looked visibly relieved. He took a step forward to kiss you, but you pressed a hand on his broad chest to stop him and nodded towards the unconscious man. “Can you…”

He understood before you could finish your sentence and with a tight chuckle Bucky dropped the man to the ground.

Bucky cupped your face with both hands and leaned slowly giving you a way out, but you only closed your eyes and waited. Your legs turned to jelly the moment his lips touched yours. He kept you close to his chest as he deepened the kiss.

You kissed him back with the same eagerness, his velvet tongue thrusting past your lips as your fingers weaved into his hair, sending chills down his spine. You caught his bottom lip between your teeth and tugged. He made a sound halfway between a moan and a growl. You loved the way his hips jerked forward as you sucked his plump, swollen lower lip.

“God, I wanted to do that for a while.” You chuckled breathlessly.

“Tell me about it, dollface.” He brushed the pad of his thumb across your bottom lip.

Reluctantly you had to pull away and find the exit. When you were finally out of the corn maze, the team was waiting for you. Steve and Tony were taking pictures with civilians while the others were eating candies from the fair.

“About damn time.” Sam sneered when you stared daggers at him. Bucky dropped the criminal at their feet. “What happened, you stopped on the way to make out?” He teased.

“They totally did.” The broken voice of the criminal rose from the ground.

Everyone stared at him, then at you and Bucky. Bucky’s red, bitten lips and your shifty eyes betrayed you, prompting gasps from your friends.

“Shut up! No one asked you.” Bucky knocked the man out again before he took your hand and led you into the fair. You didn’t even try to hide the big smile on your face as you followed Bucky.


	3. A Cold Hearted Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> can you do a Bucky x reader based off of the song daddy lessons by Beyoncé? like the reader is an assassin and is always quietly singing the song (it’s quite haunting maybe?) and Bucky’s new to the team so he always wonders why but it’s because her dad is the one that taught her to be a killer. Requested by Anonymous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,277 words  
> Violence, Mention of Death, Fluff

 

♫ _Came into this world_  
Daddy’s little girl  
And daddy made a soldier out of me ♫

Steve was giving Bucky a tour of the headquarters when a soft voice that seemed to come from the walls stopped Bucky dead in his tracks. He looked around him, his body tense and alert.

“It’s alright.” Steve assured him, one hand rising to rest on Bucky’s shoulder.

“The hell is that?” Bucky gasped as the soft music filled the corridor.

“It’s just Y/n.”

“Where is she?”

Steve looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “I’d say she’s in the air ducts.” He scoffed when Bucky looked at him in disbelief. “She likes to be alone. I don’t think you’ll see her a lot outside of missions. Everyone here has their quirks. Clint sleeps on the roof and Vision can pass through walls. You’ll get used to it.”

“I miss Budapest.” Bucky exhaled forcefully, following Steve.

♫ _With his gun, with his head held high_  
He told me not to cry  
Oh, my daddy said shoot ♫

Two weeks later Bucky woke up drenched in a cold sweat and gasping for air. He didn’t scream, but God knows he wanted to. 

His nightmares were so vivid and terrifying that he only went to bed when he was beyond exhausted. The bad dreams were still there. _If only they were just bad dreams_ , Bucky thought, but they were memories. Disturbing memories.

He felt guilty that his life was now somehow back on track, and his mind made him pay at night when no one was there to comfort him. He got up and he paced. The living room was plunged into complete darkness when a voice startled him.

“You’re James, right?”

“Bucky.”

“I don’t like nicknames.” You shrugged.

He moved his chin towards you. “Y/n?” You confirmed with a nod. “I heard you sing. You sing a lot.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Made me drift off to sleep last night.” You snickered lightly in the dark kitchen as Bucky approached you. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“We already met.”

The expression on his face was one of confusion before it clicked. “You met the Winter Soldier.”

“Yep, twice. Did I make such a fleeting impression?” You smirked.

“I’d rather forget about it.” He sighed before he looked up at you. His lips looked dry and chapped. “Did, um, did I hurt you?”

“Bruised my ribs, broke my favourite pair of high heels, but other than that… no.”

A wall of deep, yet oddly comfortable silence rose between you. You took the opportunity to observe him. His face was bent, sending his long hair cascading down over his face, his pale blue eyes shone in the dim moonlight.

“There are twenty three objects in this room I can kill you with.” You tried to lighten the mood, but you had never been really good at it so you cringed a bit when a crease formed between his brows.

“Twenty four.” He replied with a smirk. You laughed together, relieved that he was as awkward as you were.

♫ _When trouble comes to town_  
And men like me come around  
Oh, my daddy said shoot ♫

Friendship blossomed that night. From that moment you were inseparable, always training together or having each other’s back. You told him how your father turned you into a weapon, how you killed your first man at age ten to save your mother and how things only got worse after that.

Natasha found you and promised to keep your family safe if you joined the Avengers. Between that and prison, your choice was quickly made.

Bucky told you about his nightmares, about what he remembered and what he wished he could remember. He missed his mother, but had no memories of her. He called himself a monster and you called yourself a cold-hearted killer.

He was determined to warm your heart and you to show him that monsters only lived under our beds. You stayed with him at night and sang until he fell asleep. His nightmares dwindled as the buds of your friendship opened into flowers that had the forgotten scent of love. You started to think that perhaps you were not so bad after all.

And Bucky never thought he would love again until the day you had been captured. He was running aimlessly, desperate to find you. He screamed your name, punched the walls, but the only thing he heard was the evil laugh of the HYDRA agent pinned to the wall by Steve.

“You’ll never find her. She’s as good as dead.” He said, cheek pressed against the cold, damp wall.

Before Bucky could open his mouth Steve knew what he wanted. When Steve broke the agent’s arm loud sobs bounced off the walls, but Bucky managed to hear your soft voice. It was as if you were in the room with them, lulling him to sleep.

“Shut him up!” He yelled and Steve knocked the man down. “Listen!”

“I can’t hear anything, Buck. It must be your min-” But Bucky shushed him before he could finish his sentence.

♫ _And we rode motorcycles_  
Blackjack, classic vinyl  
Tough girl is what I had to be ♫

“It’s her! She’s alive!”

He followed the soft sound of your voice humming the tune he heard so many times before. He found you on the ground in a small pool of your own blood. His eyes sprang open as he rushed to your side. Your body was covered in bruises and you were barely conscious. Your eyes fluttered closed as you continued to sing.

“Bucky.” You said with a smile. He thought his heart was going to explode, you never called him by his nickname.

“I’ve got you.” He rushed back to the jet, you limp body pressed against his chest. Your eyes were closed and you were no longer singing. “No, no keep singing. You know I love when you sing. Sing for me, doll.”

Bruce took you from Bucky arms, but you wouldn’t let go. Bucky lifted your hand and kissed your knuckles as they took you away. Four agonising hours later, Bruce allowed Bucky to stay with you. He sat next to your bed and held your hand tightly in his.

“Hey, my knight in shining armour.” Your voice was so low, you didn’t recognise it.

“My princess.” He kissed the hand he had been holding for the past thirty minutes.

“It’s not the hand of the princess you’re supposed to kiss.” You said with a small cheeky smile.

“But the princess is supposed to be asleep.”

“And did you try to wake the sleeping princess up?”

He stood up and leaned forward so that his face was only a few inches from your own. “To receive a punch in the face? No, thank you.”

He made you laugh, your face contorted into a painful grimace before he rested the palm of his hand against your cheek. His lips brushed against yours. 

Each time his lips grazed yours, you whimpered and you knew he was grinning from ear to ear. His lips press harder against your own in a delicate, soft kiss. Too soon, he slightly pulled away to speak.

“No one will hurt you again, I sent a message to the others.” He felt you smile against his lips.

“You killed them?”

“No, I’m a man of peace now.” He made you laugh again and apologized when your features twisted in pain. “I sent Steve.”

“Oh yeah, Steve. Good call, everyone knows he hates punching people in the face.” You replied sarcastically. Bucky tossed you a wink before his lips claimed yours again.


	4. Hate Hurts the Hater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely :) It’s my bday tomorrow and I wanted to send a wish for a Bucky imagine :) You and him are fighting all the time about senseless stuff, but secretly you both fell in love. One Mission Buck is mad that you joined the Mission even though he asked you not to. Then you get shot while saving Bucky and he nearly loses you in his arms as he holds you. Later you wake up, you see him sitting there and he finally admits his Feelings and then you cuddle and it’s all cute ? :) I hope ist ok :) Requested by Anonymous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,644 words  
> Language, Violence, Blood, Injuries

 

“What are you doing here?” Bucky turned around quickly when you entered the jet.

“Good morning to you too.” You replied with a roll of your eyes. You sat on the seat next to him and started to skim over your file.

“I told you to stay at the compound.” He bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

“Yeah, and I told you I don’t need your permission.”

He groaned inwardly and your jaw clenched. You threw the file on the seat next to yours and turned your head to look at him. His eyes were still cast down, avoiding you at all cost.

“What is your problem?” You asked curtly. When he opened his mouth you knew it was to grumble a ‘ _I don’t have a problem’_ so you cut him off before he could speak. “What? You don’t think I can do it?”

“It’s not like that.” He took a deep breath. “I have a bad feeling.”

“You always have a bad feeling.” You threw your arms up in the air in exasperation and took a good look at him.

As usual his face remained blank, allowing no emotion no seep through. Normally, you were pretty good at reading people, but Bucky Barnes was a mystery. You had no idea what was going through that thick skull of his and it was driving you crazy.

Yes, Bucky annoyed you. You hated the way he remained calm during your arguments, it made you shout even louder. You hated that he made you throw punches until you were on the verge of passing out. You hated that he kept stealing your toothpaste, that he cheated at poker, that his eyes were so blue, that his shirt smelled so good, that his perfume lingered in the air, even after he left.

Yeah, no, you totally _hated_ him.

It was your heart that raced every time he was near, but _you_ were completely fine. It was your mind that wondered what his lips would taste like, but _you_ were completely fine. It was you knees that buckled each time he smiled, but _you_ were completely fine.

Bucky took a deep breath, he had to find a way out of the mess he was in. His stomach fluttered at the smell of your shampoo. He looked at you, reading your file, looking all grumpy and mad. He desperately wanted to bury his face in your hair and kiss your neck until he was drunk from it. He wanted to hear you laugh more than anything.

“You washed your hair?” Bucky tried to change the subject, but his voice came out sharp with bitterness and he cringed.

“Do you _really_ have to say it like that?” You replied without looking up from the file.

“Like what?” The words came out before he could think them through.

“Like it’s such a feat.”

“You’re exaggerating.” _God why can’t I just shut my goddamn mouth_ , he thought immediately.

“And you’re a tool.” You stood up and sat at the other end of the jet.

_Pinpoint accurate_ , Bucky wanted to say. _I am the dumbest person on the planet, but I’d rather be a jerk than see you get hurt._ But he just stayed silent. He always did.

He tried everything to make you stay at the compound. He knew it wasn’t fair, it was your job, but he didn’t care.

The mission was supposed to be simple. You had to keep an eye on the target while Bucky sneaked into his house to get vital documents. Easy peasy.

Well, in theory…

You put a hand to your ear and connected the earpiece. “The target is coming back. Get out.”

“I need more time.”

“You have less than a minute.” You walked faster, disappearing in the crowd. You looked over your shoulder and saw the man opening the front door. “Now, Buck.”

“Not yet.”

“He’s home. Get out! Now!” You hissed, trying to be quiet.

You kept an eye on the back door, hoping Bucky would come out and you would be able to get away from here. The door didn’t move. Wearily, you entered the house and searched for him. He didn’t reply when you tried to contact him through the com and it only made you more nervous.

You pushed a door open with your foot, gun raised high and saw Bucky. He was held at gunpoint, with both hands raised. His eyes moved to look at you before the door slammed shut. You turned around quickly and got punched in the face by the person responsible for all this.

It didn’t deter you. You threw yourself at the man and fought him with everything in you. Bucky couldn’t risk hurting you so he stood back and hoped you would win. When the sound of a gunshot filled the room, Bucky saw everything happening in slow motion.

You lurched sideways, tumbling into Bucky’s arms. He sank to the ground with you, covering your stomach with his large hands as he kept you close to his chest. You were still holding the gun. Bucky’s jaw clenched so hard it could have cut stone. He took the gun from your hand and killed the man who was trying to run away.

“I was holding the gun and _he_ pulled the trigger.” You scoffed, your voice faltered. “ _Fuck_ , I suck.” Your arched your back against his chest, a sharp flash of pain made you whimper. “You can tell me _I told you so._ ”

Bucky shushed you. He pressed both hands over your stomach to staunch the flow of blood and rocked you slowly. “No, you’re the best. Keep your eyes open. Help is on its way.”

“I want to sleep.”

“Y/n, fight it. Stay with me.” He tightened the hold around your shoulders as more bright red blood covered his hands.

“Tell me a story.”

He swallowed thickly, your voice was so weak. “There was a man, incredibly handsome, you wouldn’t believe how handsome he was.” He smiled through his tears when you let out a small laugh. It made your blood come faster and he mentally kicked himself.

“Is he a prince?”

“No, he’s a soldier.” He ran a hand through your hair, staining your forehead and hair with your blood. “This man, you see, he met this stunning girl and she kept stealing his t-shirts. He hated that, but he didn’t know why. And one day she stole a shirt that wasn’t his and he was furious ‘cause it wasn’t _his_ shirt.” His voice was gentle, like he was telling you a bedtime story.

“He believed that only his shirts should keep her soft skin warm at night. So he was confused, _do I hate her or do I love her?_ he thought. The frontier between the two is usually very thin. And that soldier, well, he didn’t have boundaries anymore. He was broken.”

“And?” The pain was gone, you felt numb. The urge to sleep grew stronger than your will to stay with him.

“And he thought he didn’t deserve her, so he avoided her. He was a jerk and he hoped she hated him because-” He stopped when he heard sirens coming closer.

“’M cold.” Your voice was so weak it was barely audible. Your head fell back against his shoulder.

“Keep your eyes open.”

“Want to hear… end b’fore-”

Talking required too much effort and everything went black. The help Bucky promised barged into the room and took you away. The whole team joined Bucky at the hospital. His hands were stained with dark, sticky blood.

Steve found him near the Emergency room. Bucky had his forearms planted on his knees and his face buried in his hands.

“What happened?”

“It was my fault. She said _get out_ and I just wanted to finish the job.” Bucky sniffed noisily, running the back of his hand under his nose. The tears in his eyes made his blue eyes even more pale than usual. “She was in my arms a-and I didn’t tell her-”

“It’s okay, you’ll tell her when she wakes up.” Steve tried to calm him down. “You don’t want to be covered in blood when you’ll tell her, uh? Let’s go,” He tried to make him follow, but Bucky kept glancing at the door. “It’s okay, they’ll take care of her.”

When you woke up it took you a moment to collect yourself. You were still exhausted and fell back to sleep right away. It was the middle of the night when you finally managed to speak. Bucky was sitting on a chair next to your bed.

His eyes opened wide when he saw you looking at him. He leaned closer and placed his metal hand on your forehead.

“I’m _dying_ to know how it ends.”

He said your name in a scolding tone that made you chuckled before your features turned into a painful grimace. “See, this is what happens when you make stupid jokes.” He said with a smirk. “How do you think it ends?”

“I think he loves her.”

“I think he loves her too.” He nodded, a playful smirk lingering on his lips.

“And I think he should kiss her.” You said, licking your lips.

“Yes, he should.” He grinned before he pressed his lips against yours, sighing with relief against your mouth.

He kissed you slowly, passionately, with everything he had. He put all the emotions he kept buried deep inside into the kiss, and when he pulled away you were breathless. With a dreamy smile on his face, he sat back in his chair, stroking your knuckles with his thumb.

He stayed silent for a while before his face turned serious and he said, “I’m the handsome soldier.”

He said it like some superhero revealing his secret identity and you chuckled.

“Yeah, I got it.”


	5. Offbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A boring party leads to jitterbug dancing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,426  
> Language, 1940s slang, 1 gif  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS5DvL8p4I4 I am obsessed with it, so let’s have some Lindy Hop.

 

“This is the most boring party I’ve ever been to.” You sighed, taking the last flute of champagne off a waiter’s tray. You gulped down half of it and observed the guests, they seemed to have a good time.

“Yeah,” Bucky nodded. “But at least _you_ can get drunk.” He finished his fifth glass of whiskey, cursing his fast metabolism.

“I don’t know shit about politics, and I’ve heard their stories a thousand times. Why are we still here?”

Bucky leaned closer to you, nodding his head toward the dance floor. You cocked a suspicious eyebrow, eyeing him from the corner of your eye.

“We’re here to watch America’s favorite senior citizen break some poor girl’s toe.”

He had a proud smirk on his lips when you almost choked on your champagne. You collected yourself and hit his chest with the back of your hand. Steve was dancing around the room with his partner. To put it simply, Bambi walking on ice was more gracious than him. His eyes were cast down, but his feet slipped on the spotless floor, sending him skidding into a wall. The girl cringed and tried to keep a smile on her face as Steve awkwardly swayed his stiff body. Bucky snickered next to you and you thrust your elbow hard into his ribs to shut him up.

“At least he’s trying.” You scolded. “You know, I heard a lot about your dancing skills, but I have never seen you dance. I’m starting to think that you lied to me, Sarge.”

“Doll,” He warned playfully, shaking his head. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“I’m not starting anything, just wondering at loud.” You grinned. You knew he had to prove you wrong.

Bucky could read you well too and he knew you were teasing him. This little game started months ago. Sideways glances, winks and lip biting increased the sexual tension. Natasha urged you to do something about it before she’d punch the two of you.

Bucky leaned so that his mouth was grazing the shell of your ear. A cold shiver ran down your back.

“Tell me Y/n,” You could feel him smirk as he whispered into your ear. “How _flexible_ are you?”

“W-Why are you asking?” You cleared your throat.

“I think we both know what’s gonna happen now.” You cocked an eyebrow and scanned him up and down. “Dancing.” He replied with a wide grin.

“Right,” You blew out a shaky breath and looked straight ahead.

Bucky took the glass of champagne from your hand and left it on a tray. You snapped your head around to look at him. He was biting his bottom lip, his eyes fixed on you. He took your hand and led you to the dance floor where the band was playing a soft, slow song.

“No, no, no Bucky!” You tried to free yourself from his grip. “I can’t dance and I already had three glasses of champagne.” You said through gritted teeth.

He stopped, raised his arm and made you twirl; the skirt of your dress followed your movement like a flower opening up to greet the morning sun. Before you could process what just happened, he caught you around your waist and pulled you close. Your lips parted with a surprised gasp as he swayed slowly from side to side.

“All you have to do is follow my lead.” He whispered, swiping a strand of hair behind your ear. You danced for a minute, a slow step that matched the rhythm of the song. “Good, let’s spice it up a bit.” He said with a mischievous grin that meant nothing but trouble.

He made you twirl again, this time much faster. He shuffled his feet and forced you to match his rhythm. The music was slow, peaceful and romantic, but his rhythm was fast, bouncy and lively. He wasn’t slow dancing anymore. He shook his legs, jumping a little as he did and you knew what was about to happen. _Lindy Hop!_

The wild, energetic dance was especially popular during the war. You were not ready, everything in your body screamed _Fuck no!_ but it was your fault: you taunted Bucky. You should have known that dancing was his religion.

“Bucky!” You gasped, struggling with the sudden frantic tempo. A quick glance around the room confirmed that everyone was staring at the both of you. “Everyone is looking at us! We’re supposed to slow dance!”

“Ain’t gonna dance that shit, doll. So fuckin’ borin’.”

Oh, no! You woke up the 1930s Brooklyn heartthrob inside him. _Now is not the time to go weak_ , you sent a message to your knees.

“ _Attagirl_!” He grinned when you finally made a proper triple step and rock step, easily following his movements. “Now Jitterbug? That’s the butterfly’s boots! C’mon, show me what ya got!”

The group of dancers backed off from the dance floor, leaving only the two of you. They were too afraid that you would bump into them. Bucky was really into it, and you soon loosened up too. Your laugh filled the room. He looked so genuinely cheerful, swivelling his hips and shaking his legs.

The band had stopped playing their slow, gloomy song. A buoyant, fast music was now filling the ball room. You were the only couple on the dance floor. People made a circle around you, clapping and wolf-whistling when Bucky’s hands caressed your hips.

Everything was going incredibly fast and from your point of view their faces merged into a blurry, cheerful monster. There were a lot of twirls and barrel spins, and you were really glad that Bucky was such a great dancer; otherwise you would have fallen to the floor, breathless and exhausted.

Jitterbugging was not easy, but you finally fell into a nice rhythm until Bucky wrapped you up in his arms and whispered into your ear.

“Trust me?” You looked up at him, his bright, dreamy smile left you speechless and you only nodded. 

He beamed, spinning you at arm’s length before he tugged you back into his arms. He reached around your waist and effortlessly lifted you off the ground. People gasped loudly as Bucky made you do all sorts of acrobatic figures. You were like a rag doll in his hands.

When the song ended, it felt like you had been dancing for hours. Your chest heaved rapidly with heavy panting, arms wrapped around Bucky’s neck. Both his arms were around your waist as he dipped you low to the ground.

People were cheering, but you couldn’t hear them. Blood pumped hard through your veins, your breath was coming in short, hard puffs. Your perfect hairstyle was now an unspeakable mess.Adrenaline and alcohol ran through your veins. Bucky’s face broke into the happiest smile you had ever seen. Your heart was beating so fast, jerking around in your chest, trying to break free. He had no intention of letting you go anytime soon. When he leaned down to kiss you, fireworks joined the party in your stomach.

His lips were soft, perfect and _oh so_ delicious. His hand pressed against the back of your head, his mouth firmly on yours. He made a sound somewhere between a moan and a groan, his velvet tongue slid in to taste your mouth. He really put his heart and soul into the kiss, not caring that everyone was watching.

He pulled away, a giddy, serene smile plastered on his lips as he straightened your up, arms still around your waist. The crowd, the cheers, everything was much clearer now. You bashfully bit your bottom lip and buried your face in Bucky’s brawny chest. He chuckled and cradled the back of your head, kissing your hair.

“You’re pretty cheerful for someone who just made out in front of a bunch of strangers.” You mumbled against his chest.

“Got to first base with the ginchiest dame in this room… you bet I’m cheerful.”

You looked up at him and frowned, wondering if _ginchiest_ was a compliment, but from the way his eyes sparkled and his grin widened you had a feeling it was a pretty good thing. “You’re gonna have to teach me some of that 1930s slang.”

“Sure thin’! I know a great way to learn things, it’ll help that you’re flexible.” He wiggled his brows.

You pulled away from his chest and gave it a playful slap. “You’re not smooth, Buck.”

“Nope, but I’m a great dancer,” He leaned to kiss your cheek and whispered in your ear. “And an even better lover.”


	6. A Thief in the Night *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Buck imagine where you both have a secret affair at the tower and one time you’re over at his apartment and you spend another night together. After you cuddle afterwards, you get up to leave but Bucky grabs you and pulls you back into him, begging you to stay cause he dont want it to be a secret anymore. You stay and get official then :) Also with a smutty part hihi :) Requested by Anonymous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,664 words  
> Explicit Sexual Content, Oral (FR), Spanking (light), Unprotected Sex

 

**_HQ | Kitchen_ **

It was late, you were in the kitchen with Wanda and Vision playing Monopoly. The game started two hours ago and you were already sick of it. You sighed, hitting the home button on your phone to look at the clock.

_22:23_

Who thought playing Monopoly was a good idea? This freaking game never ends. Vision and Wanda argued about a rent or something -you were not paying attention- and you sighed again, planting your elbow on the table. You rested your chin in the palm of your hand and hit the home button again, thinking that _perhaps_ time passed super-fast since the last time you checked.

_22:23_

Damn it! You rolled your eyes before your phone chimed with a new text message. You almost squealed when you saw it was from Bucky.

> _Feeling lonely… When you gotta join me, doll?_

There were voices around you as you tapped a reply to your secret boyfriend. You smiled goofily at your phone before loud chuckles grabbed your attention.

“Sorry?” You asked, a deep crease between your brows. Wanda and Vision smiled at you like parents proud of their little one.

“Is there a boy requiring your services?” Vision asked, a British accent slipped through the android.

“Gross.” You muttered, your face reflecting your disgust.

“I think what Vision meant,” Wanda interjected. “is that there must be a very lucky man in your life. Your smile isn’t fooling anyone.”

“Ah well, it’s none of your business.” You replied cheekily, shrugging one shoulder. “Let’s finish the game.”

The duo replied with fake offended ‘ _ouuh’_ s before your phone buzzed again. It was a picture of Bucky. His perfectly toned chest was bare and he only wore a pair of black sweatpants. 

Sculpted lines on the edge of his waist pointed towards the bulge in his sweatpants in an upside-down ‘V’.  You groaned inwardly and tried to keep a straight face.

You sabotaged the game as fast as you could and lord knows it wasn’t easy. You received more pictures of Bucky. In the last one, he had removed his sweatpants and was firmly holding the base of his erect cock. The capture read,

> _Starting without you_

> _Don’t you dare!_ you tapped quickly.

You shoved your phone in your back pocket before you excused yourself and left. You could still hear Wanda and Vision from the hall and rolled your eyes as you turned the corner, almost bumping into Steve.

“Going to bed, Y/n?” Steve flipped his wrist to look at his watch.

“Why? You wanna join me, Captain?” You teased, nudging his side with your elbow as you walked past him.

He started stuttering out incoherent words. You turned and walked backwards to appreciate your handiwork. His face turned a deep shade of red, the colour quickly spread up to his neck and ears, giving you a weird sense of pride. 

You shot him a playful wink and disappeared around another corner. When you were sure that no one was around, you entered Bucky’s room.

“What took you so long?” A very naked Bucky sat on his bed when he saw you.

“Sorry, I was teasing Steve.” You removed your jumper and t-shirt while toeing off your shoes. “He gets flustered so fast, I swear his face could heat a room.”

“I know another way to warm up a room.” He wiggled his eyebrows and patted an empty spot in front of him.

You put your phone on the bedside table and sat on the bed to remove your jeans. You felt him move up behind you, his warm lips traced up your collarbone before he planted wet kisses along the side of your neck.

“No hickeys!” You took his chin between two fingers and turned his head to kiss his lips. “I’m tired of having to explain how I got ‘em.”

“I loved your last one: ‘ _got attacked by the vacuum’_. Such a lousy liar.” He unclasped your bra, then slid the straps over your shoulders and down your arms.

“I’m running out of good excuses.” You gasped when his hands started to slowly knead your breasts. The contrast between his warm hand and his metal hand was enough to make your nipples hard. “And it doesn’t help that you’re sending me dirty pictures of yourself. You know I always lose my phone. What if someone else sees it?”

“That would be _absolutely horrible_.” He replied in a teasing tone. He pinched the erect bud tightly between his thumb and index finger while his metal hand trailed down your stomach.

You knew he wasn’t paying attention to what you were saying so you turned around and swatted his chest before he made you straddle his lap.

“Stop fooling around! I’m not kidding, you owe me, Barnes.” He groaned deep in his throat when you used his last name. 

You pressed your lace covered pussy against his erection, using the head of his cock to massage your clit.

“Tell you what,” He tore apart the lacy material, and it was so habitual that you didn’t even care anymore. “I’ll let you call the shots this time.”

“Yeah, right,” You scoffed, biting on your bottom lip when his cock slipped between your folds. “That’s what you said two nights ago and we both know it never happened.”

“I’m serious. Use me like one of your pretty little toys.” He grinned. He lay down on the mattress, arms folded behind his head.

“You have the most stupid face.” You leaned forward to slap his cheek affectionately. “I wanna ride it.” You smirked when his pink tongue peeked out and taunted you with a suggestive come-hither motion.

His cocky smile made your inside go all warm and you tried to hide it, but the cheeky bastard knew exactly how to make you gasp.

You moved to rest a knee at each side of his face and he kissed the inside of your knee. 

His hands rubbed soft circles as his mouth trailed kisses up the inside of your thigh. Bucky’s tongue teased and tormented you until you were a panting mess above him.

You pressed your hands on the headboard for support and rode his face like a cowgirl on a mechanical bull. 

His large hands gripped your waist, fingers digging into your flesh as he helped you slide back and forth over his demanding tongue. He smacked your ass cheek hard, feeling your walls tightened around his tongue.

Your eyes were closed shut as you approached your climax. You tried to warn him, but you the words were trapped in your throat and the sound that came out was a guttural moan. You thighs quivered and you burst apart, moaning his name. Your body was still shaking from your orgasm when you rolled off him.

“Am I forgiven?” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

You straddled his thick thighs and steadied yourself with a hand on his chest. “Almost.” You replied with a smirk, lining him up with your entrance.

You sank down onto his cock, taking him deep until he was buried to the hilt. Bucky put his hands around your waist, helping you upward. You raised yourself and sat down hard, his fingers digging into your flesh.

He planted his feet on the mattress and met your trusts, sending you spiralling out of control. He hammered into you over and over until you forgot your own name. 

His gaze dropped to your bouncing tits before his mouth latched onto your nipple. You felt the familiar heat curling in your lower belly. His thumb easily found your clit and rubbed fast circles until your pussy clamped around his throbbing cock.

Your orgasm drew Bucky over the edge, he grunted as he spilled himself inside you. You helped him rode out his orgasm before you fell back onto the mattress and sighed contently. 

Your legs were still shaking and your body was glistening with sweat, but you felt blessed.

“Sorry,” He winced, his face was serious and you couldn’t help but chuckle. Why on earth would he say that when he just gave you two mind-blowing orgasms? “It’s gonna leave bruises.” He kissed your hip bone where the imprint of his fingers marred your skin.

“Barely, unfortunately.” You winked, soothing his worries. You put your hand on the back of his neck and pulled him into a slow, passionate kiss.

He smiled at you like you were the world and left to grab a warm wash cloth. When he came back you were setting the alarm on your phone.

“Ah, yes!” Bucky mumbled, lying next to you. “The 4am alarm.” The expression on his face showed his frustration as he took a deep breath.

“I need to be out of your room before Steve wakes up.” You put the phone on the bedside table and nestled against him.

* * *

When the alarm rang you groaned, but moved the sheets because you only had about ten minutes before Steve would barge into Bucky’s room for their morning run. You sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed the sleep from your eyes.

“Um, what’r doin’?” Bucky mumbled in a sleepy voice, his eyes only half open as he looked at you.

“What does it look like?” You said through a scoff. “I’m going back to my room.”

“Stay.” He grumbled, pulling you down next to him on the bed. He threw the sheets back over the both of you and pressed you closer to his chest. He kissed the side of your neck before his head fell back onto the pillow.

“If I stay I won’t be able to leave your room discreetly.” You made sure he understood. “Everyone will know.”

“I’m countin’ on it.” He smiled against your neck. “Now go back to sleep.” He spooned you closer to him. 

You fell asleep with a big smile on your face until Steve’s loud gasp woke you up and Bucky threw a pillow at him.


	7. Vicious Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate AU where when someone meets their soulmate a mark appears on their left ring finger. It grows into a line as they spend time with their soulmate until the circle is complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,999 words  
> Language, Injuries, Blood, Major Character Death, Angst

 

When you first met James Barnes, a burning ache seized your left hand. You cringed in pain, it felt like your ring finger was broken. The soldier in front of you rushed to your side. He didn’t seem to be in pain, yet you were the only two people in the room.

You knew exactly what it was. He was your soulmate, the one fate chose for you, the only one who would be there no matter what. You hissed in pain and tried to look up at him, he had a worried expression on his face, but he looked just fine.

Eventually the pain faded and you straitened yourself, your left hand still distorted and shaking. You had to look very closely, but it was there, the small dot that marked the beginning of your relationship.

“You’re my-” Bucky trailed off.

Unconsciously, he balled his left hand into fist, upset that he couldn’t feel it because he lost his left arm so long ago. And that’s when you saw that his left arm was made of metal.

“Oh,” Was the only thing you managed to say.

You were a new recruit. Natasha sent you to the training room to practice the new move she taught you, but training was the last thing on your mind. Bucky had your undivided attention.

“Okay, that’s a bit awkward.” You laughed nervously and extended a hand, introducing yourself. He smiled and shook your hand, asking you to call him Bucky. “So… we’re supposed to, like what, fight?” You chuckled, trying to figure out what to do with your arms.

“I guess,” Bucky scrunched his nose up and let out a nervous laugh. “Show me what you got!” He entered the boxing ring and stretched his arms above his head while he waited for you.

You stared at him for a few more seconds before you joined him on the ring. Bucky was facing you, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. A crooked smile appeared on his face as he gathered the courage to ask you,

“Can I see the mark?” He finally said with a nod towards your left hand, which was curled into a fist, ready to fight.

“Come and take a look, _soulmate.”_ You grinned, your arms raised to defend yourself. His pale eyes narrowed as a mischievous smile tugged at his lips.

 _Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea_ , you thought when you had to throw yourself on the ground to dodge a punch from the Winter Soldier.

After almost thirty minutes of hard-core fighting, the Winter Solider tackled you to the ground. Bucky was straddling your waist, your wrists pinned above your head with one hand as he stared into your eyes. You were a mess, stray tresses of hair stuck to your sweaty forehead. Your breath mixed with Bucky’s as you tried to wiggle free from his grasp, but to no avail. He watched you move and definitely enjoyed the sight.

He finally took a look at the soulmate mark on your ring finger. He kissed the heel, then the inside of your palm before he placed a tender kiss at the base of your ring finger. The prickling of his beard against your soft skin made you chuckle. He let go of your wrists and brushed a strand of hair from your eyes before he cupped your face.

“Is this alright? Can I kiss you?”

You didn’t reply, instead you took the opportunity to roll onto your back, bringing Bucky with you so you were now the one straddling his waist. He snickered and felt his body relax under your delicate touch. A tingling sensation spread across his skin when you leaned down and kissed him. His hands cupped your face as he returned and deepened the kiss. He finally found his soulmate, and he was not going to let you go.

A scoff startled you both. “That’s not what I had in mind when I told you to find Barnes.” Natasha smirked.

*

There was something about Bucky that made you feel close to him. Perhaps it was simply because he was your soulmate. Nevertheless, with him, you felt at home.

At the end of each day, the line on your ring finger grew. After a few months, it was already circling a quarter of your finger. It was growing fast, way too fast. Soon the circle would be complete and you would lose your lover for ever.

Bucky couldn’t see it on his own finger, and it frustrated him to no end. He kept begging you to show him how fast the line moved, but you always refused. At this rate, you knew that you only had a few years left with your soulmate. You didn’t want him to worry so you always hid the line under a ring. At night, when you were fast asleep, Bucky would try to remove your ring to see how fast the line moved.

“You saw it?” You asked one morning, voice filled with anxious anger.

He didn’t answer and just looked at his feet, his face completely blank. He saw it. He saw that the line was now circling half of your finger, which meant that he only had another three years with you.

“I have the right to know.” He muttered under his breath. “Without this thing,” He rolled up his sleeve on his left arm, his metal arm shone under the light. “I could see it on my own skin.”

“I don’t want you to worry. That’s all. I don’t even look at it anymore, it doesn’t matter.” You sat next to him and laced your fingers with his metal ones.

“We’re together now, that’s what matters. Stop worrying about what might happen. Let’s make the best of what time we have left. We are the lucky ones, we found each other.” You kissed your way along his angular, clenched jawline.

“Yes, dollface.” He agreed, turning his head to kiss you slowly, intimately as if he was already nostalgic for the taste of your lips. “I love you. So _so_ fucking much.”

The genuine quiver in his voice made your heart skip a beat. You straddled his thick thighs and ran your fingers through his hair, determined to show him how much you loved him.

*

It was the hottest day of the year, and yet you were wearing that fucking tight black tactical gear. You were a bit ahead of time, so you removed the ring around your finger and saw that the circle was almost complete.

“You alright, sweetheart?” Bucky sneaked up behind you and you quickly put the ring back onto your finger.

“Peachy.” You turned around and kissed his lips before you walked past him, but his fingers closed around your wrist. He knew something was wrong.

“Talk to me.”

You swallowed hard and dared to look up into his eyes before you lied. “Everything’s fine, I swear. You know how I am before a mission. Need time to… focus.”

“You didn’t look at the line, did you?” He furrowed his brows.

“Of course not.” Your heart sank when you lied to your lover again. He didn’t seem convince by your answer but duty called.

The mission was simple: take the parcel and leave. Well, in theory, because guards made the mission a bit more challenging. You had the parcel, but you were stuck in the control room. It took you a few minutes to unlock the door. Just when you thought that everything was fine, Clint’s voice shrieked through the earpiece.

“Barnes is hit! We need the jet. Now!”

Your blood ran cold as ice and you froze for a second before you questioned Clint, but the only replies he gave you were a series of groans. You ran back to the entrance of the building, trying to forget that the circle was almost complete. You would most likely never see Bucky again, but you still had to try.

You knew Steve was near. You turned the corner, expecting to see him, but instead you ran into a guard and felt a severe pain in your stomach. You looked down and saw a knife tear into your flesh. The guard took the parcel from your hands and withdrew the knife.

“Don’t play with my toys.” He said, waving the bloody knife before he ran away. You fell to the ground with an audible thud.

Steve went to investigate the source of the loud noise when he saw you sitting against the wall on the ground. You looked up at him, your eyes fluttering close. You clutched at your abdomen as blood started to ooze out from between your fingers. He rushed to your side and carried you out of the building. He kept repeating the word _no_ as he looked down at your red stained hands. He ordered you to look at him, to keep your eyes open, but you were too tired.

“I’m cold, Steve.”

He tried his best to keep it together, his chin quivered uncontrollably. He was about to ask for medical assistance when you stopped him.

“It’s over.” You gulped down and cringed, the metallic taste of blood flooded your mouth. “Let me talk to _him_.”

Steve nodded and connected the earpiece. You cleared your throat and closed your eyes shut to focus only on Bucky’s voice.

“You okay, Buck?” You tried to keep a relatively normal voice.

“I’ll survive, dollface.” His tired voice replied and you could hear people moving in the background.

“Hey!” You took a deep breath, which opened your wound and made you gasp. “You know I love you, right? Not just because you’re my soulmate, I really love you.”

“I know.” He chuckled, still half-conscious. “I love you too. You’re my one and only.”

“A-Ah, see that’s what I m-meant… You can love people who are n-not your soulmate. P-Promise me you’ll try.”

The sound of your voice and the implication behind your words made Bucky stood up from his medical bed. He pushed Bruce out of the way and ripped off his catheter. “What are you talkin’ about? You’re with me… You’re with me…”

“Till the end of the line.”

“We’re almost there!” Steve shouted when he saw the jet. “Hang on!”

Bucky tripped over the medical equipment that lingered on the floor, his mind clouded with fear as the large door of the jet opened and the doctors rushed to your weak form nestled in Steve’s arms. Bucky was on his knees, trying to make sense of the world around him. The pain in his heart eclipsed the pain in his ribs.

The doctors pulled back slowly, it was too late. Bucky screamed your name, shouted it for all he was worth. Steve was crying, silently, his eyes looking straight ahead unable to face his best friend or your inexpressive stare.

“Come back! You can’t die, come back!” Bucky cried as he rushed to your side and ran a hand through your hair. Your glassy eyes were looking at him without seeing him as he begged you to come back.

The ring around your finger fell to the ground, and Bucky saw that the soulmate line had finally come full circle. Bruce leaned down and closed your eyes. You looked like you were sleeping. They had to ask Wanda to appease Bucky mind long enough to let the doctors take care of his gunshot wound again. Steve carried your limp body out of the room.

When he woke up, Bucky saw that fate had another stab in the guts for him. A slight pain –compared to how he was feeling- hit him in the chest. He pulled the collar of his shirt down and saw that your last words were written on his heart in cursive letters, _your_ cursive letters.

_Till the end of the line._

Bucky’s jaw clenched hard, every muscle in his body taut, at the sight of yet another scar that would haunt his dreams.


	8. As Close as it Gets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey love :) Can I send you an idea where you’re Steve’s best friend and Buckys girlfriend. Then during one Mission you get buried under a collapsing house and end up nearly dead but they do all to free you. Then at the Hospital the doctor tells them you wont make it and they Keep blaming themselves for not protecting you. They sit beside your bed every day, telling You Storys and stuff until you then surprise all and wake up again? :) I hope that is fine with you <3 Requested by diving-down-to-wonderland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,988 words  
> Language, Injuries

 

You walked with Steve around the uninhabited house that you had to secure, but your mind was far away. It was going to be your first year anniversary, and so far Bucky had been a pain in the ass.

_“I don’t want to celebrate it,”_ He told you that morning. _“We don’t need to go out and pay a hundred bucks to eat three carrots and a bowl of boiled noodles. Might as well eat banknotes.”_

“You okay, kid?” Steve shot you a worried side glance.

“Thinking about Bucky.” You replied with a slight shake of your head.

“Ah, young love.” Steve smiled, looking straight ahead.

“He doesn’t want to celebrate our first anniversary. I found a really nice place, but he’s stubborn.” You explained and Steve stayed quiet for a moment.

“Oh,” He said after a while. “It’s tough for him to go out, people always stare at him.”

“I know, but I thought he was better now.”

“He is,” Steve quickly replied. “He’s a lot better and that’s mostly thanks to you. You’re the reason why he agreed to stay. You just need to give him time.”

You took a deep breath and nodded before Clint informed you that all the other houses had been secured. The others went back to the quinjet while you searched the house with Steve.

“You’ve been in that house for over fifteen minutes,” Bucky said through the earpiece. “What the hell are you doing?”

You snickered and rolled your eyes at his amused tone. Steve scoffed and put a hand to his ear, telling him you were almost done. You let Steve and Bucky talk and carried on with your task when the ground started to shake.

Steve said your name, the panic was evident in his voice, yet he tried to control it. You urged him to leave the house and rushed back to the front door as the house started to fall down around you. You dodged a piece of broken ceiling, but didn’t see the fallen beam that knocked you down. Steve looked over his shoulder and noticed that you were not behind him. The house was gone, completely destroyed.

He ran back to find you and shouted that he needed the medical team. When he found you, you were unconscious. Your only visible injury was a large gash on your forehead, just below the hairline. Steve picked you up in his arms and was shocked at how limp your body was, he almost thought you were dead.  

Time was running out, the quinjet landed on the roof of the nearest hospital. Bucky watched as doctors rushed to take care of you. Sam had to hold him back when he tried to follow the medical team. Bucky paced back and forth in front of the Emergency room’s swinging doors. Steve was sitting, his face buried in his hands as he mentally relived what just happened. Bucky was tired of waiting, no one came to reassure them and it only increased his worries.

“Steve, I swear if she dies…” He trailed off.

“It’s all my fault,” Steve said, staring into space. “I should have protected her better.”

“I should have joined her as soon as I was done. I’m her boyfriend, I should be the one protecting her.”

They both continued to blame themselves before a husky voice startled them. “She needs your help, and _this_ is not helping.”

They turned around and stared at Natasha who took a step forward and leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.

“It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. You both did your job. You wanna be angry at something and I get it, but this is useless.”

Bucky slumped down in the seat next to Steve, the latter turned and placed a hand on his shoulder. The three of them stood there in silence until the swinging doors opened and one of the doctors walked towards them. The trio faced the doctor. The grim look on the doctor’s face made Bucky’s heart beat incredibly fast.

“She lost a lot of blood.” The doctor blurted out. “She’s been put on life support. I’m afraid there isn’t a lot we can do for her, her chances are slim.”

“Can we see her?”

“Yes,” The doctor took a deep breath. “You should all say your goodbyes. If you have any questions, the nurses will be here to help you.”

He gave them a tight, pained smile and left to take care of other patients, leaving your three friends completely astonished in the middle of the corridor. Natasha was the first to speak.

“I’ll go get the team.”

Bucky didn’t move, he just stared at nothing as if he were in the middle of his worst nightmare. He waited, hoping that he might wake up, but he didn’t. Steve ran his hands up and down his face, sniffing noisily. He sighed and walked to your room when he noticed that Bucky was still standing in the middle of the corridor. He walked back to his friend.

“Buck?” He put a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back to reality. “She needs us.”

“I can’t.” Bucky muttered before he ran away.

Steve knew Bucky needed some time to process the news, so he walked alone to your room. He stopped at the threshold and swallowed the lump in his throat.

You looked so vulnerable lying in the hospital bed, with an IV in your arm and loud machines around you that kept you alive. He closed the door and took a seat next to your bed.

“It’s me. It’s Steve.” His fingers closed around yours and he squeezed lightly. “Hold my hand if you can hear me.” You didn’t. “It’s okay. The doctors said we should say our goodbyes, Natasha is gathering the team.”

He paused as if he expected you to reply or scoff, but you didn’t move an inch.

“I know you’re probably wondering where Bucky is. Don’t worry, he’s coming. I’ll make sure of it.” He laughed to himself.

The door opened slowly. Sam and Wanda looked around the room as if they were entering a sacred place. Steve gave them some privacy and left to find Bucky.

“There you are!” He said when he found Bucky on the roof, sitting on the ground with his knees bent to his chest and his shoulders pressed against the wall. “The others are here.”

“I can’t do it, Steve.”

“I know, but you’ll feel guilty if you don’t say goodbye.” He sat beside him, mirroring his position.

“Without her, I- I don’t think I-”

“I’ll be with you, we’ll help each other. I won’t be easy, but I swear you won’t be alone.”

“It’s just a matter of time before I lose you too.” Bucky replied sternly.

Steve stood up and helped Bucky to his feet. He hugged him and patted his back before they returned to your room. Everyone was in front of your room, they turned their heads in unison when they saw Bucky approaching. He received more pats on the back and he nodded with a grateful smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Ready?” Steve asked as the others left.

“No,” Bucky scoffed, but entered your room anyway.

His heart sank to his stomach when he looked at you. Your face lost its colours, you looked peaceful and in pain at the same time. Bucky felt sick, he had to hold the side of the door. His legs were like jelly as he walked to your bed.

“She looks so stiff.” Bucky remarked, brushing an errant strand of hair behind your ear. “When we sleep she’s always tangled in the sheets. Her head on my shoulder, her legs intertwined with mine.”

“Does she still talk in her sleep? She used to do that when we had to share a room during missions.”

“Yeah, sometimes.” Bucky looked at you fondly. “One time she threw a punch while she was sleeping. Never told her she was the one who broke my lip.”

Steve scoffed at the words. “I remember, your lip was swollen for at least a week. That was her?” He chuckled.

“Yeah, she was fighting someone in a dream. I was watching her and-” He raised his fist and pretended to hit himself in the face. They laughed together before Bucky’s face fell serious. “My nights are going to be way too peaceful now.” He leaned down to kiss your forehead, avoiding the nasty gash.

“She told me you didn’t want to celebrate your anniversary.” Steve said as he sat down.

Bucky took a deep breath, his jaw tensing before he replied.

“I thought we had more time, more anniversaries. She wanted to go out, eat somewhere fancy and I thought we’d have been better off staying at home, curled up on the couch watching one of her favourite film. I’d give anything to celebrate it now.”

They remained quiet for a while before they remembered some of the good times they had spent with you. Steve fell asleep in his chair while Bucky held your hand, whispering memories into your ear.

When the first light of day beamed through the window Bucky sighed and placed a tender kiss on your cheek, just barely touching the corner of your mouth.

“Happy anniversary, doll.”

The nurses asked them to leave the room while they took care of you. They went down to the cafeteria where Steve practically had to feed Bucky to make sure he ate something. Half a slice of pecan pie later, they got back to your room.

Your bed was empty, neatly made and ready for a new patient. Bucky’s legs buckled and he fell to his knees, hot tears were running down his cheeks. Steve squatted down and held Bucky, swallowing thickly as his friend cried. A janitor tried to enter the room, he was carrying a bucket and a mop. They both stood up. Bucky was too upset to speak, but Steve asked him if he knew what happened to the patient that occupied the room.

“She woke up.” The janitor scoffed. “They say it’s a fucking miracle, I say the girl needed a good nap.”

Bucky and Steve looked at each, eyes as wide as dinner plates. They rushed out of the room and came across a nurse who told them that they removed you from the critical ward and placed you in the intensive care unit.

They ran up and down the corridors, trying to find the right room. You were lying down on your bed, every breath was more painful than the last, but you were alive. You heard noises in the corridor followed by nurses shouting that it was forbidden to run through the hall. You smiled to yourself when you heard Steve mumble an apology. They ran past your room before they stopped abruptly.

“You guys are big dorks.” You said with a smile as they poked their heads into the room.

They entered your room with wide smiles, Bucky made a beeline for you. He cupped your face and kissed you while Steve looked down at his feet.

“You woke up.” He said with a wide smile.

“Yeah, didn’t want to miss our anniversary.” You grinned before your brain slowly registered the pain behind the action. “Hey, Stevie.”

“Hey, kid.” He gave you a warm smile. “You really scared us. Don’t do that again.”

Steve returned to headquarters to tell everyone the good news. Bucky stayed with you the entire day, his smile never faded.

“I was so close to lose you.” You cupped his cheek and he turned his head to place a warm kiss in your palm.

“But you didn’t.”

“You’re right,” He stood up and leaned down to kiss you. “I’m gonna go to the cafeteria and see what they have. It’s going to be the best anniversary dinner, dollface, I promise you that.”


	9. Honeysuckle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky remembers how he fell in love with Reader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,499 words  
> No warnings. Italics are flashbacks.

 

Bucky sat on a hard pew with his arms crossed over his chest. He forced his mind to concentrate on his thoughts and remembered the first time he saw you.

*

_“You’re gonna like her,” Steve told Bucky as he opened the door to the facility. “Don’t get fooled by her pretty face, she’s as dangerous as a snake.”_

_Bucky puffed out a laugh as he followed Steve into the kitchen. When Steve opened the door a thick, grey smoke billowed up from the stove. They couldn’t see much, but they heard you cough. Steve swung the window open and the smoke gradually disappeared._

_“Thanks.” You smiled, fanning your face with your hand. “Mixed up Celsius and Fahrenheit. Hey, you’re the new guy!” You beamed when you saw Bucky.  “Wanna eat some burnt cake? I made it for you,” you snickered, pushing the evil-looking cake forward._

_“It would be rude to say no, Buck., Steve teased his friend while he was examining you as if he were a doctor. You wanted to roll your eyes, Steve was always so protective of you._

_“Stop it, Steve. I’m fine, stop trying to kiss me.” You pulled away from him, a cheeky smirk on your face._

_“I-I’m n-I wasn-” he stuttered, his eyes wide open._

_“Oh no, I broke him.” you said with an air of false concern before you burst out laughing. “Calm down or you’re going to have a stroke, old man.”_

_Bucky watched the exchange with a smile on his face, his brows slightly furrowed. Steve shot you an annoyed glance. You pressed a kiss to his cheek and chuckled when he looked at you with a soft smile._

_“Beautiful women always had that effect on him,” Bucky said._

_Bucky’s eyes closed slowly as the impact of the words registered in his brain. He didn’t know why he said that out loud. When he opened his eyes again, he saw you looking at him with a wide grin._

_“You think I’m beautiful? I like your friend, Steve. We’re keeping him.” You nudged your elbow into Bucky’s side. “See you later, Barnes.”_

_Bucky watched you disappear into the hallway, a smile lingering on his lips. Steve cleared his throat, catching Bucky’s attention._

_“I know that look. Don’t try anything stupid,” Steve warned with his trademark stupid grin._

*

“Are you okay?” Steve asked Bucky who was smiling alone.

He sat down next to Bucky on the pew and looked up at the altar. It was covered with candles and different kinds of flowers. Soon people would join them and stare at Bucky with disdain and he wasn’t sure he could bear that. He played nervously with the program.

“Fine,” Bucky muttered before he raised his head to look at his friend. “I’m scared," he admitted.

“I know.” Steve slung his arm over Bucky’s shoulders and gave him a light squeeze. “Everything will be alright, pal. Why were you smiling?”

Bucky took a deep breath before answering. “I was thinking about Y/n. The first time we met.”

“You mean when she baked you a cake and almost burned the whole place down?” Steve said with a soft chuckle and Bucky nodded pensively.

“You have the flowers?” Bucky tried to change the subject. Steve nodded, he had a few branches of honeysuckle in his hand. “Good.”

Bucky took the white and yellow flowers from Steve’s hand. He closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply to savour the sweet, intoxicating scent. His mind went back to you again.

*

_Bucky was standing on the flat roof of the compound, looking around him with a deep crease between his brows. The roof was usually bare and plain, but that night it was covered with climbing roses, honeysuckle, bougainvillea and ivy vines._

_“You like it?” He jumped at the sound of your voice. “Tony lost a bet, he has to pander to my every whim.”_

_“And you asked him to redecorate the roof?” Bucky gestured to the plants._

_“You spend most of your time up here.” You took a few steps closer and hunched over the railing. “Thought it wouldn’t hurt to make it nice.” You gave him a warm smile._

_His frown deepened, he couldn’t understand why someone would do something nice for him._

_“But if you liked it better before I’ll ask Tony to remove everything," you quickly added when you saw the look on his face._

_“I love it. You did this for me?” he chuckled, trying to hide his nervousness._

_You rolled your eyes. “Of course I did it for you, Buck. No one else comes up here.”_

_Bucky looked at you, his heart swelled with joy. God knows he would have loved to wrap his arms around you and kiss you, but he had to take it slow. He didn’t want to scare you away, he still struggled with his own demons._

_A warm summer wind blew across the roof bringing along a sweet, flowery smell that made you both straighten up._

_“Honeysuckle," you whispered, loving the smell of the drifting fragrant._

_“It’s what heaven must smell like.” He nodded and turned his head to look at you._

*

Bucky was alone with the suit Steve brought him earlier. He unzipped the cover and looked at it. He put the all-black suit on and took a good look at himself in the mirror. The black satin and dark border shimmered under the soft lights. He removed the glove that usually concealed his metal hand.

Slowly, he took a small branch of honeysuckle and carefully placed it into the outer breast pocket of his suit. The yellow and white flowers contrasted nicely with his dark outfit. He found himself smiling, the flowers made him feel closer to you.

*

_Bucky was wearing his gear, he had been assigned to a new mission. He was in the kitchen, checking his pistol when you approached him._

_“You’ll be gone for a while?”_

_“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to spending three weeks alone with Sam.”_

_“He’s still giving you the cold shoulder?” You gave him a lopsided smile._

_Bucky put the pistol back in its holster and sighed. “I don’t know what to do, honestly it’s going to be a tough mission.”_

_You slid a small branch of honeysuckle into the top pocket of his jacket. “You can do this. I believe in you.” He looked at you with a small smile._

_Gathering your courage, you pecked his lips and quickly left the room. Bucky blinked slowly, his fingers running across his lips. They were still warm, he wasn’t dreaming._

*

“It’s time.” Sam entered the room, disturbing Bucky’s train of thoughts. “You’re ready?”

Bucky swallowed thickly, his heart pounding in his chest. His breathing hitched so he took a deep breath. Sam moved closer to him and awkwardly patted his back, trying to be nice.

“It’s going to be fine.”

“I can do this.” Bucky nodded firmly.

Together they walked back to the church. Bucky’s legs felt like jelly and his knees trembled with each step. When he entered, everyone turned to look at him. He saw the way they all looked at him, as if he had done nothing in his life to deserve someone like you.

He tried to focus on something else.

*

_Bucky left the quinjet and made a beeline for the facility. He had been dating you for a while, but when you told him you loved him, Bucky froze. He was unable to say the words, he never thought anyone would want to hear them in the first place._

_You had given him a genuine smile and told him it was alright, that he could take his time. And now, he was ready._

_He pushed the door open and climbed the steps to the landing next to the kitchen. You were going to the training room. Bucky practically jogged to catch up with you. He put one hand on your shoulder and turned you to face him._

_Surprised, you let out a small happy gasp at the sight of your boyfriend before his mouth came down onto yours. You laced your fingers behind his head and sighed into the kiss. He left quick, nibbling kisses to your lips as he pulled back._

_“I love you, doll.”_

*

Bucky was standing in front of everyone, the faint scent of honeysuckle gave him the strength to face them. The double doors opened again and Bucky felt his heart jackhammering in his chest.

There you were, clad in a beautiful white muslin dress, holding a bouquet of roses, lilies and honeysuckle. He stared at you with his mouth agape, forgetting everyone else. His anxiety left him as you walked slowly towards him.

“Hey, handsome.” You winked as you finally stood next to him.

“You are gorgeous.” He blinked slowly, completely stunned. Your laugh made him smile.

“I went from beautiful to gorgeous? I am definitely keeping you.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he whispered as the priest started the ceremony.


	10. Live Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader is held hostage with her friends. She's on the phone with a detective who will try everything to save her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12,112 words! yikes, I know, it's /really/ long but it's all the part of my drabble series into one big oneshot.   
> It's a modern Police!Au where Bucky is Detective James Barnes. It was inspired by a picture I saw on tumblr, which I put at the bottom of the fic as well as inspirations for Detective!Bucky Barnes  
> There's drama, angst, violence, blood, feels and fluff

 

It was a cold winter night, your best friend Natasha and Sam, her boyfriend, were walking hand in hand while you trailed behind them. The store was just around the corner.

You passed through the automatic doors of the supermarket and let the warmth of the atrium seep into you. Both floors were crowded, even though it was almost closing time. You looked around you as you shoved your gloves in your pockets.

“What do we need?” You unzipped your coat and turned to look at Sam.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and stared at the bright screen. “Um, chips, salsa sauce, cake-”

“Why does Foggy always throw a party when his cupboards are empty?” Natasha said, her brows pulled together.

“Okay, we need a shit tons of things. It’s best if we split up.” Sam clapped and rubbed his hands together like he couldn’t wait to get started.

“Y/n, you take care of the chips. Nat, you’re in charge of the sauce and I will take care of the rest.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss on his girlfriend’s lips.

“See you soon, sugar.” Natasha winked at him and looped her arm through yours.

“We’ll meet back here in 15 minutes!” We warned, walking backward towards the escalator.

“Yeah, yeah,” You grinned at Natasha and dismissed Sam with a wave of your hand.

You and Natasha were talking about trivial things when a man almost bumped into you. He apologised quickly and ran after a woman. You turned your heads to look at them. The man with a goatee held out a large box and smiled brightly at a blonde woman with high heels. 

She kept one hand on the cart and pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. It didn’t seem to deter the man, he kept a charming smile on his face until the blonde shook her head. You chuckled when the man jutted his bottom lip out in a pout, but the blonde only rolled her eyes and walked away.

“Let’s go.” Natasha took your hand and walked through the aisles until you found the one with the chips.

You followed her, keeping up with her pace when you noticed that a blond man was staring at the both of you. He was wearing sunglasses and a beanie with an arrow on it. He peered at the two of you through his sunglasses and grinned. You glared at him, your brows slightly furrowed and he threw you an amused wink. Natasha put bags of chips in the basket and looked at the time. Sam was probably already waiting for you.

“I need one more thing and then we can leave.” Natasha said, turning around and hurrying to the next aisle.

The supermarket was busy, you went to the checkout counter and looked behind your shoulder to see if Natasha was coming back. The line you were in wouldn’t move at all, which was starting to upset you.

Suddenly everything went quiet, like the calm before a storm. The sound of what appeared to be firecrackers made you jump. Screams rose from the back of the supermarket, then everything turned into chaos. You shouted Natasha’s name as people ran towards the exit. You fought you way back to Natasha, like a fish swimming against the tide and fell to the ground. 

The loud popping sounds came closer, you looked up to see a man dressed in black pointing his gun at the ceiling and pressing the trigger. You crawled to the nearest hiding place. Your heart was racing, your stomach tingled nervously. You wondered if your friends were okay. 

Apparently the man was only trying to scare most of the customers away. He caught a few people and led them to the back room. You pulled your phone from your pocket and dialed 911. Closing your eyes, you repeated the words ‘pick up’ like a mantra.

_“911, what is your emergency?”_

“I’m at Fairchild, the store is being robbed.”

_“Okay, Ma’am, a patrol car is on its way. They should be there shortly, stay where you are.”_

You heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming closer to you and quickly cut off the call in a dumb, scared move. You put a hand over your mouth and nose so that your ragged breathing wouldn’t betray your position and waited.

A few minutes later, you saw the red and blue lights of police cars, which were parked in front of the store. Soon your phone started to vibrate insistently in your hand. An unknown number flashed on the screen, making you frowned as you swiped your thumb across the screen to take the call.

_“Ma’am, this is Detective James Barnes with the one-o-seventh. Are you okay?”_

“Some dudes are walking around with guns, I’m hiding behind a pile of soup cans and I have no idea where my friends are… Honestly, I’ve had better days.”

Your sarcasm made Detective Barnes smile to himself. He cleared his throat and asked, “ _Ma’am, may I ask your name?”_  You told him your name and he repeated it softly. 

“ _Miss Y/l/n, everything is going to be okay. I’ll get you out of there, but you need to stay calm and do what I say_.  _Understand?_ ”

When he heard you snort on the other end of the line, Detective Barnes rubbed his forehead with two fingers. He had the feeling you were not going to be so cooperative.

*

The police had set up a perimeter. Yellow tape that warned in big, bold letters ‘ **POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS** ’ was stretched around lampposts and bins. The bright blue and red lights from the police cars were casting ominous shadows across the detective’s face.

Detective James Barnes just arrived at the scene of the robbery with his partner T’Challa who flashed his badge at a group of cops near the Command Unit van. James looked around him and sighed, it was going to be a really long night.

“Barnes!” Captain Carter shouted when she saw him near the patrol car. “We have the number of the civilian who called 911. I want you to call her and find out what she knows. Keep her calm.”

She handed him the phone and walked away. Taking a deep breath, James pressed the call button. He tried to keep you calm, but you sounded more annoyed than scared.

“Did you see the assailants?” He tilted his head to the side while waiting for your answer.

“I saw a man carrying a gun.” You whispered so low that he had to close his eyes to focus on the sound of your voice. “I heard footsteps.”

“Stay hidden. Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“Anyone requiring medical attention?”

“No idea. They don’t seem to be hurting people, but the ceiling took a few bullets. Can’t you just barge in here or something?” You asked, annoyance filling your tone.

“I could… if we were in a TV show.” He smiled to himself when you snorted. “Tell me what you can see.”

“Not much,” You replied, shifting on the balls of your feet. “But if I move-”

“Do not move!” James shouted into the phone. “Stay hidden and don’t do anything reckl-”

You put the phone to your chest to muffle the sound of his voice and slowly peered out between two cans of soup where you were hiding. The supermarket, which had been crowded just a few minutes ago, was now empty. It reminded you of a scene from a disaster movie. Broken boxes of cereals and other products were scattered on the floor.

You put the phone back to your ear and opened your mouth to tell Detective Barnes that no one was in sight when you spotted a little girl.

“There’s a kid.” You gasped into the receiver. “I can see a little girl.”

James flinched when you mentioned the kid, his hair stood up on the back of his neck. He waved at his superior. “Is she hurt?”

“No idea. I’m gonna go see her.”

“Don’t move!” He shouted again, earning an incredulous look from Captain Carter. “There’s a kid, she’s going after her.”

“Tell her to stay where she is.”

James told you to stay still, but you didn’t respond. He could hear you speak to someone and he assumed it was the kid. He could barely hear your voice. You crawled to the kid and sat next to her. With a small smile, you brought your knees to your chest and retreated into a ball.

“Hey! What’s your name, sweetie?”

“Cassie.” The girl replied around a mouthful of cereal like it was no big deal. “I lost my daddy. Do you know where he is?” She looked up at you with big brown eyes.

“No, sweetheart, I don’t know where he is. Why don’t we stay together, um? We’ll find him later, okay?”

“Why is everyone playing hide and seek?” She asked, returning her attention to her cereals.

You mumbled a ‘ _dunno’_  before you put the phone to your ear.

“She’s fine, she thinks it’s a game.” You explained to Detective Barnes. “I’m going to stay with her.”

“It’s very important that you stay hidden, no more reckless move, okay?” You could hear sirens and people shouting in the background. “I will call you back in five minutes.”

He ended the call and squeezed the phone, bringing it to his forehead. He closed his eyes and mumbled incoherently to himself before he took a deep breath. Reporters with mics and cameras were gathering around the supermarket, bringing with them a growing number of onlookers. James avoided a woman who wanted to interview him and entered the police van.

“I just got off the phone with a certain Y/n Y/l/n. According to her, they took hostages, but she doesn’t know where they are. She also found a little girl.”

“Anyone injured?” Captain Carter asked, taking a sip of her coffee before she tossed the Styrofoam cup in a bin.

“Not that she knows of.”

“They blocked the exits and broke the security camera.” T’Challa said, eyes locked on the computer screen. “Looks like your Y/n is our best source of information.”

“Barnes, you’re in charge. Think you can handle it?” He nodded firmly, seizing the opportunity to impress his superior. “Good.” She left the van and shouted at her men. “I want two snipers on the roof.

James walked over to T’Challa and put a hand on his shoulder as they both looked at the security footage.

“Hey, she said she was hiding behind a pile of cans. Think you can find her?”

T’Challa hummed, typing away at the keyboard until he found what he was looking for. He zoomed in and the two men watched as you squatted down behind a pile of soup cans. The video stopped soon after.

“Here’s your girlfriend, Barnes.” T’Challa grinned. “You should call her back, she’s probably worried sick.” He let out a small laugh when his partner rolled his eyes.

James left the van and put the phone to his ear. You didn’t pick up, he frowned and tried to call you again when a man walked past the security and grasped his arm.

“My friends are in there..”

“Okay, sir, calm down.” James raised both his hands. “What’s your name?”

“Foggy Nelson. You gotta help her, man.”

*

Detective Barnes asked Foggy Nelson to come with him. They went out onto the street where they could speak without being interrupted. James retrieved a small black notebook and a pen from his inner breast pocket and opened it to a new page.

“Sir, I understand you are under great stress, but I need the names of your friends.”

“Sam Wilson, Y/n Y/l/n and Natasha Romanoff.”

“Y/l/n?” Detective Barnes’s head snapped up to look at Foggy while still scribbling down in his notebook.

“Yeah, I talked to her like five minutes ago. We were expecting them, but they were late so I called her and… Oh, fuck, man!”

“Sir, who is Y/n?”

“She’s my assistant. I’m a lawyer,” He gave him his card. “Yeah, I know, you think we’re scumbags. Don’t give me that look. Nelson & Murdock. I’m Nelson.”

“Yeah, I got that.” James took the card between two fingers. “Listen, you need to let us do our job. Stand back, and I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

“But dude… um, I mean, Officer…”

“ _Detective_ ,” James sighed, closing his eyes.

“Detective, these people are my best friends. Please, save them.”

“We’ll do our best.” James waved at an officer and nodded towards Foggy. The officer came closer and asked Foggy to follow him.

*

“I need milk.”

You stared ahead of you, deep in thought, and frowned when you heard a voice.

“What?” You looked down at the kid who was sitting next to you.

“My cereals need milk.” She looked at you with raised eyebrows and a dumbfounded grimace.

You blinked, pulling yourself back from your reverie. When the words finally registered in your brain, you leaned closer to her.

“Sweetheart,” You said softly. “These are really crunchy and… and we’re… we’re trying to win this hide and seek game, remember?” You used words that wouldn’t scare Cassie.

“Yeah, but I’m bored. How long are we going to stay here?”

“Until…” You tried to think of something to say that the six-year-old would believe. “Until Santa tells us we can move, alright?”

“Pff,  _you_  know Santa Claus?” She asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Yeah, I have his number. We’re old friends. Just stay put.”

As if on cue your phone vibrated, Foggy’s name -and dorky face- appeared on the screen of your phone.

_“Where are you guys? We want food!”_

“Foggy, I’m at Fairchild. There’s a robbery, I have no idea where Sam and Nat are.”

_“Jesus! I’m on my way!”_  He shouted and ended the call.

“What the-” You pulled the phone away from your ear to look at the screen and groaned.

Foggy was a great boss and a dear friend. He would do anything for his friends, but honestly, what could he do? Barge into the supermarket and beat the robbers with a metal bat? Oh no, wait, he would totally do that.

About ten minutes after Foggy’s call, your phone buzzed again.

“Ah!” You said, throwing Cassie a side glance. “Santa is calling.”

She looked ready to stand up and do a cartwheel. You took the call while trying to shush her.

“Cassie, remember what I said about being quiet?”

You heard a soft laugh on the other end of the line.  _“The kid’s not behaving? Geez, I wonder what that’s like.”_  Detective Barnes sassed you over the phone.

“Glad to hear you’re having fun, Detective, but we’re about to die. And for the first time in my life, this isn’t a euphemism.”

“What’s a euphemism?” Cassie asked, scrunching her nose up, revealing a missing front tooth.

_“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have joked about it.”_

“No,” You sighed. “ _I’m_  sorry. I, too, make jokes when I’m stressed.”

There was a small pause, you knew he didn’t hang up because you could still hear sirens blaring in the background.

“ _It’s gonna be okay_ ,” Something in his tone made you want believe him. His voice was low and kind, it felt like a warm embrace.  _“Y/n, can I call you Y/n?”_

“Yeah.”

_“Y/n, I want you to do something for me. You need to keep the little girl safe. Can you hide her somewhere? Like a closet or a room?”_

“I saw a toy box when I was shopping.” You recalled.

_“Great, do you think she’ll fit?”_

“I think so but…” You trailed off and swallowed the lump in your throat. “It’s three aisles away from where we are.”

James held the phone to his chest so that you couldn’t hear him mutter a soft “ _shit_.” He gritted his teeth while trying to find a solution. There was only one solution and he knew it, but he couldn’t ask you to risk your life.

“Detective? Are you still there?”

_“Yeah,”_  He put the phone back to his ear and pinched the bridge of his nose. You knew what he refused to ask.

“I’ll go.” You said in a decisive tone. It was going to happen that he liked it or not. Cassie’s safety was your number one priority.

“ _Don’t hang up and be extremely careful_.” He emphasised the word ‘ _extremely’_.

Cassie tugged on your arm, making you turn your head to look at her. “What did Santa say?” She looked so excited, a bright smile plastered to her face.

“Santa is sending us on a very special mission.” You replied with a smile.

Innocent, little Cassie didn’t notice how fake and tight your smile was. A shiver of fear chilled your bones while Cassie squealed gleefully.

*

James kept his phone glued to his ear while you moved around the deserted supermarket. He closed his eyes and tried to picture himself with you and Cassie. His heart was beating fast, anxiety grew inside him and he tried to shake the feeling away.

You were making a lot of noise for someone who was trying to be discreet.

“ _Okay, it’s done. She’s safe.”_  You whispered, breathing hard into the phone.

“Are you okay?” He cringed at his own ridiculous question. “Sorry, stupid question.” He braced himself for your sarcastic comeback, but you didn’t say a word. It made his eyes snap open. “Y/n?”

_“D-Detective Barnes, I-I can’t b-breathe.”_

Almost instinctively, James looked around for backup. He was the only one who could help you, he had to stay calm.

_“It’s too hot in here.”_  James heard the rustle of clothing and assumed you were working on removing your coat.

“You’re doing really well. I know it’s scary, but you can do this.”

“ _I can’t-”_  You sobbed.

“Hey, Y/n, listen to me. I’m right here, I won’t let you down.” He said calmly, but firmly. He used that concerned tone again, the one that made your stomach flip.

He could still hear your laboured breathing and muffled cries. He closed his eyes again, trying to remember what they taught him at the academy. His mind went suddenly blank, the only thing he could remember was helping his childhood friend whenever he had an asthma attack.

“Focus on my voice and follow my lead. Think you can do that for me?” He heard you humming softly so he continued. “Great! Take deep breath and hold it.” He paused when he heard you suck in a breath.

“Now hold it for a few seconds and breathe out slowly.” He paused again, listening to your breathing. “That is really good. We’ll do it again, together.”

Your fists were clenched, your eyes closed shut as you tried to concentrate on his voice. After a couple of minutes, the panic left your chest, allowing you to breathe normally again. He could hear your breathing returning to normal.

“I am proud of you.” His praise made you feel warm and fuzzy inside. “You need to stay strong, I know you can do this.”

_“We don’t know each other, Detective.”_ You pointed out.

“True.” He agreed with a nod. “Let’s get to know each other better. You can call me James. I saw your boss, he’s really something. Do you like your job?” A smile lit up his face when you let out a small laugh.

_“You saw Foggy? He’s great. Matt’s more reserved, but they’re both so generous.”_

“And your friends,” He looked down at his notes. “Sam and Natasha, how did you guys meet?”

_“Natasha’s my best friend, we met when we were young. She’s in the army that’s where she met her boyfriend, Sam. He’s a doctor.”_

“I had a best friend too.” James recalled fondly. “We were inseparable, until he moved to Europe.”

You talked with James for almost an hour, although you would have never guessed it. He described himself as a single, pizza-lover, twenty-something living in Brooklyn.

This made you laugh and even though you couldn’t see it, a victory smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He made you feel better, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t wonder what he looked like.

_“James?”_

“Yes, Y/n.”

_“Thank you for getting me through this. Your voice is very soothing.”_

James looked around him, he had been so focused on you during the conversation that he was completely unaware of anything going on around him.

“Likewise,” He smiled when you chuckled softly. “You have a really nice voice.”

_“I bet you say that to all the hostages you have on the phone.”_

The smirk in your voice made him shake his head. A silly smile spread across his lips until it wrinkled the skin around his eyes. He bit his bottom lip, vainly trying to stifle a chuckle. A comfortable silence settled between you. It was as if he was there with you, holding your hand.

“James fucking Barnes!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” James muttered to himself. “Y/n, I gotta go. Call me if you need anything. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.  _Be careful_.” His last two words sounded gentle, almost pleading.

He ended the call, his heart sank at the thought of leaving you on your own. He collected himself quickly and turned to face the man who so eloquently called his name.

*

Trying to appear unaffected, James walked back towards the police van where Sergeant Brock Rumlow was waiting for him.

“Taking a break to call your girlfriend, Barfs?” Rumlow asked with a large insincere smile. “Do you realize that we’re here to work? To catch the bag guys?” He moved his face a little closer, taunting James.

James’ jaw clenched, he had to bite his tongue to stop himself from replying something nasty. Rumlow was his direct superior and a daily nightmare. He couldn’t disobey his orders.

“I was talking to a witness.” James walked past him and entered the van.

“A mystery witness? Please, tell me more.” Rumlow followed him closely.

The small place felt like a sauna despite the cold weather. James started to feel lightheaded and slumped down into a swivel chair next to T’Challa. He tilted his head from side to side, trying to release the tension in his neck and shoulders.

“A woman called 911, she’s hiding inside the supermarket with a little girl.” James explained. “And before you ask, they are both safe. She hid the kid in a toy box and found a hiding place nearby.”

Rumlow nodded, his face suddenly grave. He took a deep breath and raised a hand to scratch his temple.

“Still doesn’t explain why you were smiling like a doofus.”

This made T’Challa snap his head towards James, his brows furrowed together. James quickly avoided his partner’s eyes and gnawed on his bottom lip instead. Rumlow bossed them around a few more minutes before he left the van.

“Please, explain to me why you were ‘ _smiling like a doofus’_  while you were talking to one of the hostage?” T’Challa spun around in his swivel chair and crossed his arms over his chest, expecting an answer.

James threw his head back dramatically and ran both hands through his hair. “We just talked, she was having a panic attack.”

“That still doesn’t explain the goofy smile.”

“I smile normally.” James sighed forcefully. “Rumlow’s just being a pain in the ass. Anyway, we got anything new on our case?” He pushed back his chair to stand up.

“Well, yeah, believe it or not, but we actually worked while you were hitting on our witness.” He returned to his computer while James rolled his eyes. “Rumlow wants to storm the shop. It’s gonna happen soon.”

James, who was pouring himself and T’Challa a well-deserved cup of coffee, turned around so fast that he spilled hot coffee onto his hand. The sudden pain made him jump, dropping both cups to the ground.

“He can’t do that. We have no idea where they’re holding the hostages. Hell, we don’t know anything about the robbers. What did Captain Carter say?”

“She said yes. We don’t have much choice, we’ve been here for over five hours.”

James left in a hurry. He looked around and spotted Captain Carter, everyone was around her, including the notorious pain in the ass.

“Captain,” James shouted, easily catching her attention. “If your order that raid, it’s going to end in a bloodbath.”

“Our team is the best, Barnes. The negotiations failed, they refused to take our call. We have to act now.”

“With all due respect, Ma’am, we don’t know how many of them there are or what they’re like.”

“We know they have guns, it’s enough for me.” She replied with a nod. “Unless your witness saw something that could help us, we’re going to launch the attack in thirty minutes.”

Time stopped at that moment and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. It was an odd experience, James had no control over his words. What he said was stupid, irresponsible and could end his career.

“She saw them.”

A few heads turned to look at him, he suddenly felt really nervous. He cleared his throat and held his head high.

“She saw the robbers and she knows where the hostages are.”

Captain Carter looked relieved and it made James’ stomach tie up in knots.

“We have to postpone the raid.” She told the others before she turned to James again. “Call her back, find as many information as you can and we’ll plan another attack.”

James wished the earth would just open up and swallow him whole. Why did he lie to his Captain? He’d been in this kind of situation before, so why was he acting like this? He jeopardised his entire career and he couldn’t fathom why.

He walked back to the Command Unit van and took his phone out of his pocket. He pressed the call button and waited.

_“James?”_

His heartbeat quickened at the sound of your voice. Maybe asking you to call him James wasn’t such a good idea. A fire swept through him and he closed his eyes to control himself.

“Y/n, I’m so sorry. I did something really stupid.”

_“It’s okay. Tell me, I-”_

James called your name when you stopped mid-sentence. He could hear someone with a deep voice speaking to you in the background.

_“Turn around, you’re-“_

Suddenly the voices stopped. James looked at the screen of his phone, a perplexed look on his face. He tried to call you, again and again, but it went straight to voicemail. Your battery was flat. His blood ran cold and his legs felt like jelly. He returned to the van on shaky legs and closed the door behind him. T’Challa looked behind his shoulder and frowned. He could see how pale his partner was.

“I lost her.” James breathed out, closing his eyes.

*

You looked down at your phone and saw that the battery was dead.  _Great!_  The man behind you said something, but you were too terrified to move. He cupped your elbow to help you to your feet. He wasn’t brutal and that pulled you out of your stupor. Behind you a tall, broad-shouldered man was looking around him, worry etched across his face.

Cassie had her legs wrapped around the man’s small waist, her head rested on the man shoulder as she slept. He was carrying her with one arm under her butt, his free hand still holding your elbow.

“We gotta go!” He whispered.

You put your phone into your back pocket and followed the mystery man down the aisle. The sound of someone walking slowly towards you made you look behind your shoulder. You saw the shadow of a man holding a gun and quickly made a dash to the right where you ducked down behind a shelf. When the thief left, silence took over. The blond sighed in relief and looked at you.

“I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“What was that?”

“I was looking for Cassie, her father is hiding in the employees’ breakroom with a few more people. I saw you before I heard one of the robbers ask the other to go check out the toy section.”

You took a deep breath, trying to process all the information. The good news was that you were no longer alone, but you also lost James.

“I’m Steve.” The blond extended his right hand. Your hand slowly lifted from your knee to grasp his. You told him your name and shook his hand. Shaking a man’s hand in the middle of a robbery was kind of unsettling.

“We should go back to the others.”

Your heart was beating like crazy, the feeling never left you since this whole thing started and you didn’t get used to it. Steve and you were really careful, peeking around corners and walking fast until you found the door to the breakroom. He knocked once, waited and the door opened.

A young brunette with long brown hair kept the door half-closed. When she recognised Steve, she stepped away from the door and let the three of you in. The breakroom was small with lockers everywhere, a door on the left led to the restroom. A few people were sitting on the floor.

“Natasha!” You almost cried when you saw her.

You both ran towards each other and hugged. You held each other for a moment, happy to be reunited when a man cleared his throat.

A dark-haired man with a goatee and another with a beanie were looking at the two of you with a half-cocked grin. You remembered seeing them before the robbery. The blond nudged the man sitting next to him and mouthed the word ‘ _lesbians_.’ You rolled your eyes and turned back to Steve who introduced you to the people in the room.

“This is Wanda, she works here,” Steve gestured toward the brunette who waved at you. “That’s Clint, Tony and Scott and I think you already know Natasha.”

You nodded greetings and told them your name. Scott took Cassie from Steve’s arms and kissed the top of her head. He gave you a small smile while he rocked his daughter in his arms.

“Welcome to our makeshift shelter,” The man named Tony said.

“I don’t suppose any of you have a charger.” You said, fishing your phone out of your back pocket. “I was on the phone with a detective.”

Wanda snapped her fingers and opened a locker. She searched her purse for something and pulled out a portable battery charger.

“I always carry one of these.” She explained, handing you the charger.

You thanked her, plugged your phone into the charged and turned it on. You looked around you and noticed a pile of papers spread out on the floor. It looked like a battle plan and you knew whose idea it was. You knew Natasha pretty well, she was always so calm and organised.

“What is that?” You nodded towards the papers.

“We’re planning an attack.” Natasha squatted down and explained her plan. “When I was hiding I saw where they took the others. They’re in the backroom near the central aisle.”

“And what are you going to do? You can’t just show up there and punch people in the face.”

“I know that,” She rolled her eyes. “That’s when Tony comes into play.”

Tony squatted down next to her and started drawing on a piece of paper. “I’m a chemistry teacher. There are very simple ways to make ‘ _homemade’_  weapons. We’re going to make smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails.”

“I know my way around the supermarket.” Wanda stood next to you. “With Steve and Scott, we’ll get Tony whatever he needs. We’ll also grab a few baseball bats, just in case.” She shrugged.

“Last but not least,” Scott squatted next to Tony. “We’ll break into team of two so we can cover more ground, and then we’ll make a hell of a noise. This will distract the robbers, they will have to split up to catch us.”

“And then the best part, we beat the crap outta them!” Clint finished, hitting his fist in the palm of his other hand.

They all looked at you as if it was the best plan ever. Napoleon probably had that same toothy smile before the battle of Waterloo…

You were speechless, it could go sideways really,  _really_  fast. They looked so indifferent, you looked around for hidden cameras. Unfortunately, it was real.

“So? What do you think?” Natasha asked with a glint of hope in her eyes.

You opened your mouth to speak, but no words came out. Your phone buzzed in your hands, you looked down at the screen and saw five missed calls from James.

“Excuse-me, I have to make a phone call.” You said as you walked into the restroom.

*

You were calling James when Natasha put a hand on your shoulder. You stopped and turned around to face her.

“What’s going on?”

Her question made you cringe. “Isn’t obvious? In case you haven’t noticed, we’re trapped in a supermarket.”

“No, you don’t think we stand a chance against these guys!” She flinched when you avoided her eyes. “I know what I’m doing. It’s my job.”

“ _Your_ job, not ours!” You raised your voice. “What if they’re armed, what if they fight back? What if there are more than three robbers? What if some people are still hiding? Nat, do you even have answers to these questions?”

“You talk like a cop, Y/n. Who’s that detective?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“He’s a-”

“A guy? Well, that explains everything!” She snickered, a cold laugh escaped her lips.

“It’s not like that. James is helping-”

“Wait,” She cut you off again. “You call him by his first name?” Your phone started to vibrate in your hand. She looked at it and scoffed. “Go on, you don’t want to make  _James_ wait.”

She turned around without adding anything. You had your lips pressed together, tears started to blur your vision. You took a deep, shaky breath before answering.

_“Y/n? Y/n, are you okay?”_  James’ panicked voice in your ear made you close your eyes.

“I’m fine,” You leaned against the wall.

_“I couldn’t reach you. What happened?”_

“I found a group of people, we’re hiding in the breakroom. Apparently it has just been renovated and it doesn’t appear on any maps. I found my friend, Natasha, she says the hostages are in the backroom near the service corridor. That’s all I know.”  

_“What about your other friend? Sam.”_  He didn’t even have to look at his notes anymore.

“He’s still missing.”

_“You’ll find him,”_  He said in a gentle tone.  _“You sure you okay? Is your friend hurt?”_

“No, we’re all fine. It’s just…” You trailed off. You used your free hand to rub under your eyes. You quickly weighed the pros and cons of telling Detective Barnes the truth. “I’m tired and scared.”

You didn’t like lying to James, but you couldn’t let Natasha down.

_“I know, but you’re safe now. It’s the only thing that matters.”_  He exhaled quietly. Now that he knew you were safe, he had to tell Captain Carter the truth.  _“Listen, I did something incredibly stupid-”_

“Oh, yes you wanted to tell me something. What’s going on?”

_“I-”_  He seemed to hesitate.  _“I lied to my superiors, but don’t worry about it. The thing is, I have to tell them the truth and… I don’t think it’s going to end well for me.”_

“James, you’re scaring me.”

_“Don’t be, I only lied to keep you safe.”_  He replied quickly.  _“This is probably the last time we’ll talk to each other.”_

“But-” You closed your eyes and imagined you were with him.

_“You’re a great woman, so strong and… maybe a bit stubborn.”_  He laughed softly and closed his eyes, picturing you beside him.

“But you’ll be there when everything will be over, right?”

“ _I don’t think so. Just promise me you’ll stay where you are. No more reckless moves, okay?”_ He tried to keep his tone playful.

You pressed your lips together into a thin line and kept your eyes closed. When you didn’t answer he called your name.

“Yeah, promise.” You murmured.

_“Goodbye, Y/n.”_

And then nothing.

You collected yourself before you returned to the locker room. Natasha was sitting on the floor. You walked over and sat down beside her. You stayed quiet for a few moments before you both said at the same time, “I’m sorry.”

You looked at each other and chuckled.

“You were right,” She continued. “It’s not a good plan, but I can’t stay here and do nothing. I’m scared that something will happen to you or Sam. I don’t even know where he is. It’s driving me crazy.”

“Nat,” You held her hand tightly. “He’ll be fine, Sam’s a survivor.” She nodded slowly, looking straight ahead. “You were right too, I  _may_  have a crush on the detective.”

“You don’t say?” She turned her head and smirked.

“Shut up,” You nudged her with your shoulder. “Six hours ago I didn’t know him and now I’m worried because he’s going to be fired.”

“Why would they fire him?” Natasha frowned, a deep crease between her brows.

“He said he lied to his boss to keep… me safe, but I’m sure he meant us, all the hostages.” You shrugged. “I’m just another damsel in distress. He’ll forget me in a day or two.”

“That’s not true,” She shook her head.

“No, he’ll remember me, but not my name. I’ll be a story, nothing more.”

“Stop being hard on yourself,” She slung her arm around your shoulders and hugged you close. “I met Sam right after I got shot, he saved my life and then asked for my number.” She chuckled.

“Well, James already has my number.”

“Good, now all he needs is to grow some balls.”

“Nat,” You scolded and immediately laughed.

“Oh, Detective James!” She teased you. “I love you so much.”

“Oh, just shut your mouth,” You pulled away with an offended gasp. “I’m not in love with him. I just think he’s nice and-”

“And you want to have his babies.” She poked your cheek and laughed when you rolled your eyes.

“No! Urgh, you’re the worst.”

“I love you too.” She said before her face fell serious again. “So, what do you say? You’re coming with us?”

“You’re still going after the robbers?” When she nodded, you sighed and looked down at the floor, deep in thought. “Well, I can’t let you do that alone.”

“I’m not alone, I have the gang.” She gestured towards the others. “I understand if you want to stay here.”

“It’s fine, let’s go punch people in the face.”

You stood up and shoved your phone into your back pocket without realizing that James never ended the call. He heard everything.

*

James stood in the middle of the police van when Rumlow entered. He cocked a brow at James, wondering why he looked so flabbergasted.

“Seen a ghost, Barnes?” He closed the door behind him and stood in front of James who still had his phone to his ear. “Oh, it’s that witness of yours. What’s going on?”

James was too stunned to speak, he just heard that you had a crush on him. Earlier, after he said his goodbyes, he remained silent and tried to find a way to ask you out. You were in the middle of a robbery and he knew it wasn’t the right place, or the right time, but it was his only chance.

Soon he would tell the truth to Carter and he wouldn’t be able to talk to you. He gathered his courage and opened his mouth to finally ask you out when he heard you sigh forcefully, followed by the sound of your footsteps.

He wasn’t sure what had happened until he heard you talking about him with your friend. You thought he had hung up and returned to the breakroom, unaware that he could hear your conversation with Natasha. He also heard that you and the others were going after the robbers. It was -hands down- the worst idea a group of hostage could come up with.

“Barnes, talk to me. What’s going on?” Rumlow put both hands on his shoulders, pulling him back to reality.

“I have to go.” James mumbled, pushing Rumlow’s hands away. He walked past him to leave the van, but Rumlow grabbed his elbow to stop him.

“Whoa, wait a second! Where are you going?”

“See Captain Carter-”

“You have new information?” Rumlow raised his eyebrows in mild surprise, a genuine curiosity in his voice.

“Let me go.”

He wiggled free of Rumlow’s grasp and left the van in a hurry. It made him physically sick to know that you were in danger. He shouted his Captain’s name, making her turn around.

“Your witness gave you new information?”

“The hostages are in the backroom near the service corridor.” He repeated what you told him. “Ma’am, we need to act quickly.”

“That’s it? I thought you said she saw the assailants as well.”

“I lied,” Captain Carter gave him an exaggerated, astonished look that made his jaw clench. “You were going to storm the place and kill everyone on sight. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Captain Carter folded her arms over her chest and looked at him in the eye. “You leave me no choice, Barnes.” She sighed. “You’re suspended with immediate effect. One month. Give me your badge and gun.” James pulled off the badge he had clipped on his belt and removed the holster with his gun. She took the items and motioned for him to leave. He pretended to leave the scene and looked over his shoulder.

When he was sure she wasn’t looking at him, he entered the police van. James released a relieved breath when he saw that Rumlow was gone. He started to look for the map of the building when Detective King came back.

“What are you doing?” He closed the door behind him.

“I’m looking for the map of the supermarket.”

“Near the coffeepot,” T’Challa walked over to the table and rolled out the blueprint onto the desk. “Looking for something in particular?”

“An extension. Y/n mentioned they were hiding in the breakroom, she said it was new.”

“There,” T’Challa pointed on the map to an empty building next to the store. “You see the Chinese restaurant right next to the store? They plan on using it to make the supermarket bigger. This is great, now we have a possible way in. I’m going to tell Carter.” He turned around to leave, but James stopped him.

“She suspended me.”

“What? What did you do?” T’Challa stared at him with his eyebrows raised high in surprise.

“I lied about knowing where the robbers and the hostages were. Carter’s plan was a mistake and you know it. I had to do something.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, I need your help, man.”

“I can’t do that, James.”

“I just need an hour. Give me one hour and if I’m not back, you can tell Carter.” He paused to gauge T’Challa’s reaction. “You owe me, T.”

“It’s about that girl, isn’t it?” T’Challa sighed, rubbing his hands down his face.

“Yeah,” James replied quietly. He was in it too deep to lie anymore. T’Challa sighed heavily, already regretting his decision.

“Okay, one hour and if Carter asks, I didn’t know you were suspended.” T’Challa waved his finger at him to emphasize his words. “So what are you going to do now?”

“Officially, I’m going home.” He took a piece of paper and reproduced the map.

“And what are you really going to do? From friend to friend?”

“I’m going to save Y/n.”

“You’re really into that reckless witness, uh?”

“You have no idea.” James folded the piece of paper and left the van.

An officer lifted the yellow tape over his head as James left the scene of the robbery. He returned to his car, which was parked a few steps away and grabbed his own weapon from the glove box.  He removed the jacket of his black suit, reached into the back seat and grabbed his black leather jacket.

He looked around to make sure no one was watching him and slid the gun into the back of his trousers. Carefully, he walked towards the abandoned Chinese restaurant and kicked the back door open.

He drew his weapon from the back of his trousers and raised it high as he walked into the kitchen.  The kitchen was torn to pieces, the renovation work has already started. A plastic curtain covered the hole in the wall separating the restaurant and the supermarket. Taking a deep breath, James pushed the plastic curtain and walked warily through the narrow pathway, entering the deserted supermarket.

*

You were sitting on the floor with Tony, making smoke bombs out of tin foil and ping pong balls while Clint and Natasha were talking strategy.

“Did you guys hear that?” Tony raised his head and looked around.

“Yeah, it’s coming closer.” Clint whispered, wrapping his fingers around the handle of the frying pan he found earlier.

He walked warily towards the noise while you all tried to hide, makeshift weapons in hands. It couldn’t be Steve, Scott or Wanda, they were on a  _mission_  in another part of the supermarket. Clint turned the corner and held the frying pan above his head.

A man turned around and pointed his gun at Clint, his eyes narrowed in anger and fear.

“Who are you?” Clint whispered loudly, grasping the handle with both hands.

“NYPD! Detective Barnes. Drop the frying pan!”

You crawled out of your hiding place when you heard his voice and ran towards him.

“James!” You held out a hand to him and pulled him to his feet.

“Step away from him, Y/n. I want to see his badge.”

Tony and Natasha stood behind Clint. The three of them were looking at you with puzzled eyes.

“I don’t have my badge. I’m here unofficially.”

Natasha took a step towards you, she looked down at your hand. You were still holding his hand, your fingers linked with his.

“Y/n, is this James?” She asked with a nod towards the man standing next to you. You nodded. “You never saw him before, how can you be sure?”

“We talked all night long. I know what he sounds like.” You held Natasha’s stare with a pointed look.

“I came back for  _you_.” James looked at you. “I heard what you said about me. I heard  _everything_.” He turned to look at the others and your eyes opened wide. “Including how you plan on attacking the robbers. Are you all insane?”

They fidgeted uncomfortably under his stare. He sighed, and gestured towards the employees’ break room.

“There’s a hole in the wall near the back of the shop. It leads to a restaurant, it’s safe. Detective King will take care of you.”

“My wife’s in there, I’m not going anywhere.” Tony said with sudden confidence.

“I’m not leaving my fiancé.” Natasha shook her head.

“I just really want to punch someone in the face.” Clint shrugged, giving him an ‘ _I don’t care’_  look.

James ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands in frustration. He turned back towards you, hope in his eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere. Sam is one of my best friend.”

A deep silence settled, he looked at you with pleading eyes. You stared at each other for a moment before Clint opened his mouth to speak. Natasha tugged at the hem of his sleeve, leading Tony and Clint away from you and James.

He was the most handsome man you had ever met in person. His eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep, his cheeks darkened with day-old stubble. His hair was short on the sides and a bit longer at the top, tousled to give him a carefree look. Black suit trousers hugged his long legs, showing off his muscular thighs. You stared at James with parted lips. He looked at you with the most endearing smile, his eyes roamed your face to settle on our lips.

“So you heard everything?” You asked and he nodded. “ _Everything_?” You emphasized, cringing a bit and he nodded again.

He chuckled when you covered your face with your hands. Your palms muffled your embarrassed groan.

“Don’t be embarrassed.” He gave you a lopsided grin.

“Embarrassed? Why would I be embarrassed? You heard that I liked you and we never even met before.”

“Sometimes it happens.” He shrugged one shoulder.

“Oh, my God!” You rubbed your hands up and down your face. “I didn’t check my phone, I thought you had hung up.” You explained, confirming what he already suspected.

“I didn’t, I was actually trying to find a non-creepy way to ask you out.” He raised his hand and rubbed his neck. He looked very sheepish, his grey-blue eyes crinkled at the corners.

You looked at him for a moment, the words slowly registering in your brain. So, James was into you? Well, it would make things easier. He looked at you, nervously waiting for you to say something.

“Came up with anything?” You chuckled and he seemed to relax a bit.

“You mean that breaking into a supermarket in the middle of a robbery isn’t an efficient way to ask you out?” The corner of his lip curled up into a cheeky grin that made his eyes twinkle with malice.

You kept your eyes on the ground and raised your head when James started to rub your knuckles with his thumb. “I’d love to go out with you.” You said with a genuine smile.

“Great, now I really need to get you out of here.” He tried to keep his tone light, but his stomach was churning with fear.

He licked his lips, slicking them nice and shiny, and leaned forward to kiss you. He moved impossibly slowly, giving you the chance to say no, but you were ready. More than that, you were craving his lips on yours. If he didn’t kiss you right now, you were going to explode. And of course, Steve’s voice made you both turn around.

“Bucky?”

_Who the hell is Bucky?_  You thought.

*

“Steve Rogers?” James recognized his childhood friend who moved to Europe years ago. “I thought you were smaller.”

“Puberty.” Steve shrugged. “It’s been a while, Buck.”

“No one calls me that anymore.” James chuckled. “Let me guess, this was your idea? Every time a fight is gonna happen you show up. Some things never change.”

“Actually, it was her idea.” Steve nodded towards Natasha.

“I didn’t hear you complain, Rogers.” She smirked and joined you. “You okay?”

“They know each other?” You looked at Natasha with the most confused expression on your face. “Feels like we’re in a sitcom.”

If Steve hadn’t  _rudely_  interrupt you, you would be kissing James right now. The sudden urge to slap Steve across the face made your dominant hand shiver.

“Guys, you should come over here.” Steve gestured for everyone to gather around him, Wanda and Scott. They came back with baseball bats, lamps and kitchen knives. “We saw them.”

“Who?” Tony asked, with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“The Backstreet Boys,” Steve replied, rolling his eyes. “Honestly Tony, who do you think we saw?”

It took a few seconds before Tony gasped out loud and hit his forehead. “The robbers!”

“Yeah, two. They were arguing so we hid behind the information desk.” Steve explained.

“They took off their masks.” Wanda continued. “One was tall, lean with dark hair; the other was a bit taller, long blond hair kept in a messy bun and arms the size of hams.”

“They called each other Loki and Thor.” Scott concluded.

You were all standing in a circle, listening attentively. James took your hand and you saw the apprehension in his eyes. He laced his fingers with yours, holding your hand tightly.

“Thor and Loki? Are you serious?” Tony cringed. “If that’s their real name, you can all call me Lady Sif.”

“Wait, who’s that guy?” Scott pointed at James who was right in front of him.

“Nevermind him, he’s a cop. Tell us what the robbers said.” Clint dismissed his question with a wave of his hand.

“They talked about Y/n and Cassie.” Scott continued, his voice was starting to weaken. Scott hid Cassie in the breakroom and hoped that nothing would happened to her. He took a deep breath and continued.

“Apparently a man called them earlier and said that two people were hiding in the toy section. But they didn’t find anyone and the guy on the phone wasn’t happy. How did he know where you were hiding?” Scott looked at you.

For a few moment, they all tried to come up with an answer, but you knew. The only person who knew where you were hiding was next to you, holding your hand. You tried to slip your hand out of his, this made him look at you with knitted brows. Natasha must have come to the same conclusion because she subtly took the frying pan from Clint’s hand.

“James?” You took a step back. “You’re the only one who knew where I was hiding.”

“He told the robbers what was happening inside.” Natasha pointed the frying pan at James who lifted both hands up.

“I didn’t!” He took a step back now that everyone sided with Natasha. Steve stood between James and Natasha so that she couldn’t hit him. “Y/n, you gotta believe me. I never lied to you, please listen to me.”

He tried to take a step towards you, but Natasha tutted and raised the frying pan above her head.

“Touch her and I’ll break your face.” She gripped the handle with both hands, reading to swing the pan.

James looked over his shoulder, they were getting pretty loud. “Please, listen to me.”

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he looked around, trying to understand what was happening. He rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes to focus on what happened a few hours ago in the van.

“I didn’t even tell my boss where you were hiding.” His voice faltered, his eyes were watery and pleading. It had been a long night, longer and more intense than he could have imagined. “The only one I told was my partner, but he would never do that. I’ve known him since the academy.”

James looked like he was telling the truth, you really wanted to believe him. Natasha didn’t lower her weapon, her lips were drawn tight in concentration.

“You’re the only reason why I’m here.” James reached out to take your hand again, but Natasha glared at him. He turned to Scott. “Sir, I wouldn’t have harmed your little girl. It was just me and Detective King in the…” He trailed off, remembering one other cop. “ _Rumlow_.”

“What’s Rum-low?” Scott frowned.

“He’s a Sergeant, he was in the van when I explained Y/n and Cassie’s situation. He’s a  _fucking_  moron.” James turned to Scott again. “Sir, there’s a hidden passage in the wall near the locker room. I want you to take your daughter and leave this place.”

Scott turned to look at the others, the prospect of finally leaving this place made him want to trust James. He nodded slowly as Wanda picked up a baseball bat and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m coming with you, in case it’s a trap.” They both hurried back to the employees’ breakroom to find Cassie.

“You should all leave.” James turned to the rest of the group.

“In your dreams.” Tony muttered under his breath.

James faced you again, he looked so furious at himself. You walked past Natasha and took his hand, pretending not to see the look she gave you.

“I believe you.” He muttered a ‘ _Thank God_ ’ as he rubbed his forehead with his free hand. “What are you going to do?”

“I have to call my partner.” He said and slid his phone out of his pocket. He speed dialed T’Challa’s number and it picked up almost instantly. “T, it’s me. Rumlow is working with the-”

On the other end of the line, a dark laugh cut him off. “You’re a clever fellow, Barfs. I’m coming to get you. See you soon.” Rumlow chuckled ominously before ending the call.

*

“James? What is it?” You asked as James pocketed his phone.

“Rumlow is coming.” James muttered, trying to wrap his mind around the situation.

What did Rumlow do to T’Challa? If he hurt him, James would never be able to forgive himself. He felt his lungs constrict, his breathing hard and shallow. It wasn’t his first case, but this one was different. It felt personal.

He flipped his writ and checked the time. Captain Carter was probably already outside with a SWAT team about to storm the building. James was terrified, he was standing with a bunch of civilians who wanted to punch their way out of the shop. Even if he was suspended, he considered it his duty to protect them, to protect you.

“Okay, I’m in charge here.” James ran a nervous hand through his hair. “First, I’m calling off your little operation. Second, you do exactly what I say. It’s too late for you to leave now.”

He turned to Natasha who was watching him with her arms crossed over her chest. He knew he had to do something to appease your friend.

“Natasha, Y/n told me you’re in the army. Can you take the others and find a place to hide?”

She sighed and seemed to relax a bit, tilting her head enough to look behind her. “Yeah, I’ll keep them safe.” She replied before she led the others away from the main aisle. “You’re coming?” She whispered loudly, holding out a hand to you.

You turned to look at James and he gave you a small nod, taking your hand and kissing the back of it. “Go with them. I’ll find you when this is all over.”

“I don’t want to leave without you.” You looked over your shoulder, Natasha was still waiting for you. “It’s crazy. I’ve never met you before tonight, but I feel safe when you’re near me.”

“You’ve been through a lot,” He smiled and let his eyes roam over your features as if memorizing them. “When everything will return to normal, you’ll realize I’m just an ordinary guy. You may even want to cancel our date.”

“Not a chance,” You smiled, placing the palm of your hand in the centre of his chest.

His heart was beating so fast and hard that it made him dizzy.

“Promise me you’ll stay with them.” He looked deep into your eyes.

“I swear.”

“I mean it. No matter what happens, you don’t turn around, you don’t come back.” He put his hand on top of yours.

His words made you pull back slightly. You tried to gauge his expression, but he carefully avoided your eyes, which only increased your worries.

“James? What is Rumlow going to do when he’ll find you?”

“Nothing I won’t try to do first.” He replied quietly before he leaned in to whisper in your ear. “All you need to know is that I’m the best shooter on the team. Don’t worry about me.”

He kissed your temple and pulled back, giving your hand one last squeeze. As if on cue, a loud, taunting voice came from somewhere behind you.

“Barnes!” Rumlow laughed and it made you shiver. “Where are you?” He drawled out the words, enjoying this way too much.

“Y/n, you gotta go!” James pushed you towards Natasha, but you clutched your fist into the lapel of his leather jacket.

“Not without you.”

“I’ll be fine. Go!”

Natasha hissed your name, urging you to follow her. Leaving James was beyond your strength, your feet were stuck to the ground unable to move.

“No,” You whined, your eyes locked on James while Rumlow kept shouting.

“Go, please. You promised.” His voice cracked and so did your heart.

You grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and crashed your lips against his. It was sloppy and hurried, all tongues, teeth and desperation, but never had a kiss felt so good before. You refused to let him go. Perhaps it was because of the adrenaline, or just because even though you met him only a few hours ago he made you feel at ease and protected.

James kissed you back with the same insatiable need before he grabbed your shoulders, trying to convince himself to push you away. As much as he enjoyed the kiss, he had to know you were safe. Yet, he couldn’t stop kissing you.

He could hear Rumlow getting closer and the agreeable flutter in his stomach turned to anxiety.

“Go,” He mumbled against your mouth.

You gave a chaste kiss and pulled away, your eyes were stinging with the effort to hold back your tears.

“Please don’t die.” You breathed out, your warm breath fanning over his wet lips.

Reluctantly, you joined Natasha and started running away from the central aisle. Despite your frantic breathing and the blood pumping through your ears, you could hear James talking to someone. You heard voices and two gunshots before someone fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

You turned around, the whole supermarket suddenly became completely silent. Natasha made you duck behind a pile of soup cans before you could even think about running back towards James. She wrapped her arms around your shoulders to make sure you’d stay with her. From where you were, you could hear a SWAT team barge into the backroom. You put your hands on top of your head and prayed that everything would end quickly.

*

You vaguely remembered a man dressed in black tactical gear asking you to keep your eyes on the ground as you and the other hostages walked towards the exit. The white linoleum was covered in blood and you decided that it was safer to focus on your feet.

A gust of cold wind slapped you in the face as soon as you stepped outside. Bright lights blinded you, reporters shouted over the already loud police officers. You couldn’t focus on anything, you just stood there in the biting cold.

Suddenly, you felt an arm around your shoulders. Sam hugged you and Natasha tightly, wrapping his golden survival blanket around the both of you. It felt so good to be in someone’s arms, you started crying uncontrollably. It had been a really long night and you couldn’t believe that it was finally over.

“They want to take our statements as soon as possible.” Sam pulled away to look at the pair of you. “I’m so glad you’re both okay.”

You wiped the tears away from your eyes, giving him a small smile. “Likewise, Sammy.”

“Urgh, don’t call me that.” He grumbled, but couldn’t stop the smile forming on his lips when you and Natasha started laughing.

“We were going to rescue you,” Natasha kissed his lips. “But Y/n’s boyfriend was a pain in the ass.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” You rolled your eyes.

A knot formed in your stomach as you remembered the gunshots you heard before the SWAT team rescued the hostages. You looked around to find James, the knot crawled up to your throat.

“Y/n has a boyfriend? Damn, I really missed all the fun.” Sam frowned, squeezing Natasha’s waist.

“Yeah, they kissed and everything. That was so hot, she sucked on his tongue.”

You were looking for James, but Natasha’s words made your head snap back to her. “You watched?”

“Yup,” She said, popping the ‘p’. “So hot.”

“Show me,” Sam pulled her closer and tilted her head up, claiming her lips in a heated kiss.

Scrunching your nose in fake disgust, you left them alone. You walked among the police cars and ambulances, your legs shaking and barely supporting your weight, when you heard his voice. He called out your name, his voice weak and quavery.

“James!” You rushed to his side.

He was lying on a gurney, an oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose. You turned around as two paramedics carried a body bag on another stretcher. James lifted his hand, pulling your attention back to him.

“Told you I was a better shooter.” He smiled weakly.

You wanted to climb into the ambulance with him, but an officer came to take your statement. Officer Peter Parker was wearing a uniform that was too big for him. He led you away from the crowd, his eyes sparkled with awe.

“Oh my God,” He gasped. “I can’t believe I’m talking to one of the Avengers!”

“The what?”

“The Avengers!” He beamed. “That’s what we call you, the group of reckless witnesses who wanted to punch their way out with baseball bats! You guys are so cool!”

You rubbed your hands down your face and tried to focus on what happened. Slowly, the fog clouding your mind started to lift.

You told Officer Parker what happened. He kept gasping and saying things like ‘ _wow’_  or ‘ _psyched’_. You could see in his eyes that he was already starting to daydream about it so you snapped your fingers in front of his face.

“Sorry,” Parker rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well, we’re done here. Most of the hostages are in the hospital, it’s just a simple check-up. I’ll take you there in a minute.”

Officer Parker took you, Sam and Natasha to the hospital where you were reunited with Tony, his wife, Clint and Steve. You were relieved to see they were fine and hugged them as if you knew each other for years. The friends you made during the robbery were unique and you knew you would see them again.

You were surprised to learn that it was the middle of the afternoon. You lost track of time during the robbery. After the doctors allowed you to leave, you returned to the waiting room. Natasha was falling asleep with her head on Sam’s shoulder. He, too, dozed off, an arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“I’m going to see if I can find James, okay? Then we can leave.” You smiled at Sam who smiled back and watched you turn the corner.

He waited until he was sure you couldn’t hear him before he rested his cheek on top of Natasha’s head and closed his eyes.

“Seriously, who’s James?”

“You’ll find out soon enough. I think he’s going to stick around.” She replied with a smile and nestled closer against him.

You pushed the restroom door open and made a beeline for the mirror. You cringed at your reflection; you looked like you haven’t slept in years, your mascara left black smudges under your red-rimmed eyes. You drew in a heavy sigh and washed your face.

Once you were done, you returned to the hall. After you explained who you were and why you wanted to see Detective Barnes, the nurse kindly directed you to his room. James straightened up when he saw you standing at the threshold of the door. You entered slowly, smiling shyly as you sat in a chair next to his bed.

“How are you?”

He had his left arm in a sling, his left shoulder wrapped in bandages. You stared at it with a frown.

“Better,” He smiled tightly, fidgeting in his bed.

“What happened?”

“Rumlow said that everyone would believe I was the one who orchestrated the whole robbery and he’d be a hero. He tried to kill me, hit me in the shoulder,” He nodded towards his shoulder. “But I hit him in the neck.” He finished with a small, proud smile.

“So it was him in the body bag?”

“Yeah, he’s dead.” He reached for your hand.

“I’m sorry-” You trailed off, feeling tears brimming in your eyes. “It’s all my fault. If you didn’t come to my rescue you-”

“Shh,” He said softly, kissing the back of your hand. “It wasn’t your fault. You gave your statement already? Are in trouble?”

“Foggy took care of everything. Perks of working for lawyers.” You flashed him a tight smile. “You?”

“Suspended for six months without pay.” He grinned and shrugged at the same time.

“I’m so sorr-”

“I told you, it’s not your fault.” He cut you off. “I disobeyed my superior’s orders and it was  _my_  choice.”

“But you foiled Rumlow’s plans that should count.” You protested and James chuckled.

“That’s why I’m only suspended, I should have been fired.” He explained.

A moment of silence passed between you. You stared into nothing, thinking about what he just said. The knot in your stomach loosened a bit. He looked at you and took a deep breath, gathering his courage.

“Do you like food?” The words came out as one syllable.

It pulled you out of your thoughts. You jumped, startled by his sudden loud voice and looked at him. He was cringing at his own dorkiness.

“Sorry, I’m a bit rusty.” He raised his head to meet your eyes. “What I meant was, do you want to have dinner with me? I make the best macaroni and cheese you’ll ever eat.”

“You want to cook me dinner?” You asked with a growing smile.

“Well, now that I’m suspended I won’t be able to take you out to a nice restaurant.”

“We’re not in 1940, I can pay you know.” You smirked at him as he fidgeted in his bed.

“I know, I know,” James ran his only available hand through his hair. “I was thinking that… I could cook you dinner instead of going out. But you don’t have to say yes… it was just an idea and um-”

“You really are rusty,” You replied, a lopsided grin crept onto your face. He let out a quiet groan. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”

A sigh pushed past his lips, making you laugh heartily. The sound of your laugh warmed his heart and calmed his nerves. A long silent moment passed between the two of you as you looked at each other. He bit down on his bottom lip, his eyes were on your lips. Unconsciously, you licked your lips and looked at his mouth.

“You know,” You broke the silence. “According to Natasha, our kiss was hot.”

He laughed, his smile reaching to the corners of his blue-grey eyes. You got lost in your thoughts again and only came back to reality when he pulled your hand, tugging you closer.

“Of course it was,” He smiled at you, the tip of his nose touched your cheek. “Can I kiss you?”

You squeaked out a high pitched  _yes_  before he tilted his head and pressed his lips against your own. He pecked your lips once, his gaze flicked to your lips and he pecked them again. You let him kiss you again, this time lingering a bit.

His lips caressed yours in a slow, closed mouth kiss. It was gentle and, in a way, much more intimate than your first kiss. He took his time, making sure you enjoyed it just as much as he did. The taste, the shape, the softness, everything was perfect. Someone cleared their throat, making you pull away from James. A tall, strong-shouldered man entered the room. He smiled at you and you swore his smile could save lives.

“Let me guess,” He extended his hand to shake yours. “The reckless witness?”

“Y/n,” You replied with a scoff and shook his hand.

“T’Challa, I’m this idiot’s partner.” He nodded towards James who rolled his eyes. “Because of him Rumlow stole my phone and locked me in the police van. Thanks, man.”

“Complain all you want, but it could have been worse.”

“Yeah,” T’Challa nodded absentmindedly before he turned to face you again. “Nice to meet you. I heard  _a lot_  about you.”

James called T’Challa’s name, warning him to shut his mouth. When he opened his mouth to speak again, James tried to kick his leg. T’Challa let out a buoyant laugh that made his shoulders shake.

“I’ll let you guys alone.” You chuckled at their banter.

“I’ll call you.” James said as you reached the door.

“You have my number, detective.” You winked and left the room.

 ************

There will be an epilogue soon

*************

[The idea came from this post](http://redgillan.tumblr.com/post/151536671557/theawesomeadventurer-yes-officer-there-is-a)

Meanwhile, take a look at my obsession Detective!Barnes


	11. Never Gonna Give You Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by anonymous  
> "I think I may have found a song that accurately describes how I feel toward you."  
> "Shhhh. This is my favorite part."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 468 words. Fluff. Both song are linked in the fic.

 

It was Saturday morning and Bucky was making pancakes for the pair of you. You were sitting at the kitchen table, playing with your phone, throwing occasional glances at your boyfriend. He flipped a pancake and turned to you. His blue eyes were shining in the morning light, his messy bed hair made him look imperfectly perfect.

“I love you, baby doll.”

He looked so genuinely happy your heart swelled with pride. You were the reason behind his eye-crinkling smile and that thought warmed you up.

He turned back to the stove all the while humming a song from the 40s. He sang it all the time, it was about a man who finally met the girl of his dreams. You put your elbow on the table, resting your cheek in your palm as you looked at him in awe.

The scar on his shoulder acted as a painful reminder that there was a time Bucky had suffered more than any man should endure.

“Hey, Buck?”

“Um?”

“ **I think I may have found a song that accurately describes how I feel towards you**.” You said, already looking for the song on your phone.

“Is it _[Whatta Man](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8-WFNbMohTQ&t=MjJiY2MxMTFjNzAyM2I2MjMxMmE3Y2RkMDZkN2MwOGM2OTQyZTAyMCxMM2JMWlFqRw%3D%3D&b=t%3AxCl5iVF04KRx3ayMX9cIlA&m=1)_?” He turned his head just enough to let you see the wide, toothy grin on his lips.

“No,” You scoffed a laugh and pressed play.

The unmistakable first notes of _[Never Gonna Give you Up](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdQw4w9WgXcQ&t=YWY4MGUzZWRjMTA1ZDhlMmQwMWVlMzM1OWY2MjNiOGI2NDliM2FmMSxMM2JMWlFqRw%3D%3D&b=t%3AxCl5iVF04KRx3ayMX9cIlA&m=1)_ filled the kitchen. Bucky turned around and shook his head, a smile curling his lips upward. You mouthed the lyrics to him, making exaggerated hand gestures for comic effect.

“I’m gonna have it stuck in my head now.” He whined.

 **“Ssssh, this is my favourite part.”** You cut him off before you sang the chorus at the top of your voice.

Bucky’s shoulders shook when he laughed and it could have easily been the most beautiful thing you had ever seen. He set the pancakes and syrup down on the table, watching you from the corner of his eye.

He rounded the table, leaned down and pressed his lips to yours. His fingers weaved into your hair as his tongue pushed past your lips. 

After a moment, he rested his forehead against yours. His large hands framed your face, his gaze bearing deeply into your own.

“I will never gonna give you up, I will never gonna let you down.” He spoke the lyrics slowly as he looked into your eyes. “I won’t run around and desert you.”

“That’s a relief,” You said with a large smile. “Told you this song was written for you.”

“Um? I think I like _Whatta Man_ better.” He pulled back and gave you a quick wink.

Before you could make a move, Bucky took your phone and put the famous Salt ‘N Pepa song as loud as the device allowed him to.


	12. Find Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What the hell do you think you’re doing, exactly?"  
> "Is that… lipstick, on your collar?" requested by @barnesdeservestheworld

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 865 words. Fluff, Language and Sexual Innuendos ;)

 

**Christmas Party | Tower**

 

Bucked walked over to the bar with a spring in his step, which didn’t go unnoticed by Natasha. She narrowed her eyes at him and slid a glass of whiskey in front of him.

“Thanks, Nat.” He turned his back to the bar and took a long swig of the amber liquid, letting it warm his throat.

“You look pretty cheerful for someone who doesn’t like parties.”

Bucky didn’t reply, his eyes landed on you. A cocky grin spread across his lips as he watched you leave the room he had just left. Your hair was a mess and you fidgeted with the hem of your dress, trying to yank it down so it would cover your thighs.

He tugged his bottom lip between his teeth, watching with an amused look on his face as you stumbled slightly and regained your balance. His brain replayed the events of the past twenty minutes. If he focused hard enough he could still hear your breathless moans and feel your hot breath on his neck.

* * *

 

**“Is that lipstick on your collar?”**  Natasha leaned across the bar and caught his collar, examining the reddish smudge on the perfectly white lapel.

Bucky turned to face her and swatted her hand away. “Mind your own business, Romanoff.”

“Oh, so you call me by my last name now.” She quirked a brow at him. “You can’t hide anything from me. I’m like Santa, I know when you’ve been a bad boy and that lipstick...” She tutted for good measure. “You’ve been a really bad boy. The question is: Who is that unfortunate lady?”

Bucky glared at her through narrowed eyes. She held his stare, a knowing smirk tilting her lips. She never lost a staring contest in her life and Bucky was stubborn enough to challenge her. She was the dorky Black Widow and he was the clumsy Winter Soldier, these two could have gone on forever.

“Save my time and yours and just tell me,  _Barnes_.”

“You wish.” Bucky replied with a dry laugh.

Bucky really believed he was going to win, but then he heard you laugh and it was like an injection of happiness into his veins. He broke eye contact first, it was just for a second, but it was enough. Natasha gasped out loud as realisation hit her.

“You and Y/n?!”

“What? No!” Bucky lied, avoiding her eyes, making him look even guiltier.

“Oh, my God! You’re an even worse liar than Steve.” She leaned closer to him. “Is it serious or are you just releasing tension together?”

“We haven’t talked about it yet, but I’d like to make things official,” Bucky admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “We  _release tension_  a lot, but... I don’t know if she wants to  _be_  with me.”

Natasha made a noise of agreement before she straightened up and took a deep breath. “Well, there’s only one way to find out.”

She gave him a little wink and made her way over to you. Bucky turned back in his seat, whispering loudly at Natasha.

 **“What the hell do you think you’re doing exactly?”**  When she only smirked and didn’t acknowledge his question, a wave of panic crashed over him. “Nat? No, don’t do that! For fuck’s sake.”

He watched with a horrified look on his face as Natasha put a hand on your shoulder, making you turn around. He couldn’t hear anything, but he saw your eyes widening. Bucky felt like he was going to faint and he suddenly understood how Stevie must have felt back in the 40s.

When you looked in his direction, Bucky turned around to face the bar, avoiding your eyes. He drained the remaining whiskey, tapping his foot nervously. He cursed his fast metabolism and reached for the bottle.

“Hey,” you said, sliding onto the stool next to him. “So, uh-”

“I don’t know what Natasha told you,” he cut you off, “but I love you and I want everyone to know because when you find the love of your life you don’t want to fuck them in a closet and pretend like you don’t know each other two minutes later.”

“Buck-”

“If it’s not what you want, I understand,” he interrupted you again. “But we have a nice chemistry, don’t you think? I mean... the sex is amazing.”

“Bucky, can you let-”

“I know I’m not the easiest man to love. Things are complicated and I’m still going through a lot... But you bring out the best in me and-”

“JAMES!” you shouted loud enough to get his attention. A few people were looking at you now. “God, just shut up.” You grabbed him by the lapels of his vest and crashed your lips against his.

Swallowing his surprised gasp, you let your tongue slip into his mouth, sliding it across his. He pulled you closer and returned the kiss with everything he had. After a moment he pulled his mouth away from yours and rested his forehead against your own.

“I love y-”

He didn’t let you speak, his lips were already back on yours. You let out a small groan, trying to speak against his mouth, but it only made him grin.


	13. Slice up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha asks Reader to go to her cake tasting appointment, but things get a bit heated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2,388 words. I enjoyed writing this one, hope you'll like it.  
> Explicit Language, Teasing, Public Grinding and Making Out

 

You were on you way back to the compound when your phone vibrated in your back pocket. Thinking that it was a call for yet another mission, you exhaled forcefully while sliding the phone out of your pocket and held your breath as you looked down at the goofy picture of Natasha on the screen.

“I need a favour.” She barked breathlessly.

You heard the sound of someone running and machine guns as her ragged breathing filled your ear.

“Need a hand, can’t fight the bad guys without me?” You teased with a sly smirk to yourself.

“You’re really funny,” She grunted. “Hold on!”

Her words trailed off in breathless puffs and you stopped in your tracks, the phone still glued to your ear. Soon the noises around her dimmed and you heard her take a deep breath.  You knew she had punched her way through her opponents.

“Nat?”

“Yup, still here. Listen, Clint and I have a cake tasting appointment, but looks like we’re stuck here. Can you go and say you’re me?”

“Can’t you just reschedule?”

She gasped your full name, the smirk evident in her voice. “Are you saying no to free food? I am shocked and stunned.”

You rolled your eyes, shifting your weight from one foot to the other, waiting for her to continue. People walked past you, clicking their tongue against the roof of their mouth in disapproval as you stood in the middle of the street.

“I can’t reschedule, smart ass, because this is Francis Leonard, aka the best cake designer in New York City. So you go there and you eat cake. Tell him yummy and tap your tummy a few times and it should do the trick.”

“Fine, but I am not happy about it and you totally owe me.” You protested hollowly.

“Sure,” You could tell she was rolling her eyes. “I know how much you hate cake.” You chuckled at that and she continued. “I sent him an email a while back, he knows what we want so it should be okay.”

“And do I have a fiancé?” You asked, drawing out the last word.

“Clint is calling the boys. I’ll text you the address.”

You hailed a cab and asked the driver to take you to the address Natasha sent you. When the cab stopped in front of the bakery, you saw your _fiancé_. Dark chestnut hair perfectly tousled and a boyish smile on his lips, Bucky held the door open as you climbed out of the backseat. Your heart skipped a beat, of course the only one available was the man you had a crush on.

Bucky offered you his arm and you looped yours through it. When he pushed the front door open, the receptionist greeted you with a large smile and went into the back room to find the owner.

“So, you got a call from Clint.” You pressed your lips together and moved around a display stand, avoiding Bucky’s eyes.

“Yeah,” He laughed quietly. “Glad to see you’re my fiancée, doll.”

Ever since Bucky joined the Avengers, you had been there for each other.

After a few months, your close friendship turned into a prudish flirt; snuggling close during movies, swaying your hips when you left a room, knowing he was watching or brushing hands when passing. Bucky had enough, it would end today.

“Welcome!” A loud male voice pulled you out of your reverie. You joined Bucky and looked at the man who had his arms extended in a bow and a large smile on his face. “I am Francis Leonard.”

You took a step forward and extended your hand for a handshake, introducing _yourself_. “Natalia Romanoff.”

“Oh, of course Miss Romanoff,” Francis turned to Bucky. “And you must be Mr. Barton.”

“Please, Mr. Barton is my father, call me Clinton.” Bucky replied in a semi-serious voice and you had to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing.

“This way.” Francis led you and Bucky into a cosy room.

It was minimalist, only a coffee table with two leather armchairs next to each other and a third facing them. There was also a long table near the back door, the word ‘ _kitchen’_ written across the door in gold letters.

“Please sit down, I’ll come back with some _amuse-bouches_.”

You tried not to squeal in excitement as you slumped down into the comfy armchair. Bucky smiled at you, taking the seat next to you. The skin around his eyes crinkled and you might have died and went straight to heaven.

“How cool is that?!” You gasped, taking his glove covered hand and squeezing it. “We are going to eat cake in a super fancy bakery. For free!”

Bucky intertwined his metal fingers with yours and looked at you with a toothy grin. Mesmerized by the way his slightly crooked tooth lit up his whole face, you didn’t hear Francis enter the room.

“You two are really cute,” He commented, placing a tray of buttery pastries on the coffee table. An employee placed a pot of freshly brewed coffee and three cups on the table.

“I want to get to know you. How did you meet?”

You weren’t sure how Natasha and Clint met, but you knew the big picture. He took her under his wing and they became inseparable ever since. However, Bucky spoke before you could open your mouth.

“After I joined the Avengers, she showed me around, explained how things worked. We became friends and the rest is history.”

Your heart beat a little faster, this was how _you_ met him.

“Oh, right, I forgot you were part of the Avengers. I’m not much into that, too gloomy.” Francis made a grimace and took the pot of coffee, filling the three cups. “How was your first date? Let me guess, magical?”

“With a woman like her can it be anything else?” Bucky looked at you, tenderness filling his eyes.

You were too stunned to speak and could only nod as Francis smiled at you. You took the cup he handed you and brought it to your lips in an effort to distract yourself.

Bucky imagined your first date. “I took her to this restaurant she kept talking about. Then we went for a walk in the park and I kissed her under the starry sky.”

It was really cute and you couldn’t help but wish it had actually happened. Francis put a hand to his heart and let out the longest ‘ _Aw’_ in history. Bucky’s face was completely neutral when he added,

“Then we fucked all night long. Best sex she’s ever had, right babe?”

His out-of-the-blue declaration caught you off guard, the sip of coffee you were in the midst of swallowing went down the wrong pipe.

You wheezed and coughed, your free hand covering your mouth. Bucky’s large hand gently tapped on your back as you tried to regain you breath. Francis was as red as his strawberry macarons, which made Bucky smirk to himself. The game was on.

“Okay, I think I’ve heard enough.”

“Sure you don’t want the details?” Bucky asked with an innocent lift of his brow, his hand still rubbing your back. Francis shook his head vehemently. “Shame, it was my favorite part.”

Bucky turned to you and in a fake alarmed voice he exclaimed, “Oh, look! She’s all wet now.”

He grabbed a napkin to mop up the coffee on your shirt. You tilted your head to look at him. He was smirking from ear to ear, his eyes dark and feral. You cleared your throat as Francis stood up from his chair.

 “I’ll just... Uh, the cake,” He jutted his thumb over his shoulder towards the kitchen and mumbled. “I’ll be right back.”

He disappeared inside the staff kitchen, leaving you alone with Bucky. Bucky slumped back in his seat, closed his eyes and put a macaron into his mouth. You were still speechless, but you managed to squeak out a word.

“...details?” Your voice was hoarse.

“You want to hear what Clinton did to Natalia?” He asked with his eyes still closed. You nodded and he cracked one eye open, smirking at the sight of you completely engrossed.

“She undressed for him,” Bucky said casually. He sat back in the large chair and seemed to make himself more comfortable, his eyes still closed. “Slowly, teasingly, but he had enough of her teasing. He bent her over his lap and spanked that ass she liked to sway for him.”

You made, what can only be qualified as, a dying whale noise and crossed one leg over the other, squeezing your thighs together. He didn’t open his eyes, he simply licked his lips and continued.

“She was soaking wet, he could smell her arousal in the air. He pulled her panties down her legs and devoured her like she was the juiciest peach in the world. _God_ , he was so fucking hard for her.” He palmed himself through his jeans, your gaze followed the movement of his hand.

“A-And...” You whispered, your voice caught in your throat.

“And here comes the wedding cake!” Francis bumped the door open with his hip. He was carrying a large cake covered with white frosting and raspberries.

Francis stopped mid-step when he saw the look on your face. You closed your mouth and took a deep breath to calm your pounding heart. Your clit was throbbing for attention and you desperately tried to focus on something else.

Worried that you might be having second thoughts about the cake, Francis tried to appease you. “Miss Romanoff, I know it’s a lot to take-” 

“Yeah, it’s _huge_.” Bucky interrupted, his voice was playful and the predatory look he gave you made you shiver. “But she will take it.”

“She’ll have to taste it first” Francis chuckled, setting the cake on the large table, completely oblivious to Bucky’s crude innuendo.

Bucky mumbled a ‘ _God, yes please’_ as the image of you on your knees, sucking his cock and looking up at him so innocently flooded his brain. He rose up from the comfortable chair and strutted over to the pristine wedding cake.

 Francis had a proud look on his face as he looked at his masterpiece, but before he could stop him, Bucky swiped his index finger through the icing and put it to his lips.

“So sweet.” He moaned, locking eyes with you.

“I was going to cut you a slice. That would be less... gross.” Francis frowned.

Upset that Bucky ruined his beautiful cake, Francis didn’t notice the sexual tension dancing in the air. You stood up on shaky legs, your head was spinning and you could feel your juices pool between your legs. But you were not going to let him win that easily. He wanted you as much as you wanted him.

Bucky grinned to himself when he saw the effect he had on you and used the same finger to scoop up another swirl of icing. Before he could put it to his lips, you closed your fingers around his wrist. Locking eyes with him, you brought his hand to your lips. His gaze dropped to your lips as you took his finger into your mouth.

He tugged his bottom lip between his teeth while you sucked the thick, white icing off his finger. A low groan pushed past his lips when you swirled your tongue around his digit. You made sure you had caught all the icing before you released his finger with an obscene slurping sound.

Francis fidgeted nervously in front of you. He cleared his throat noisily and shot you both a warning look. You had almost forgotten him. Bucky kept his eyes on you, his skin felt hot, flushed. His ragged breathing echoed in your ear, a soft whine escaped your throat.

He curled his arm around your waist, pulling your body flush against his, before your mouths met in a searing kiss. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he ushered you in the direction of the table, laying you down onto the table top.

He settled between your parted legs and started to climb onto the table, his hands running up and down your thighs. He tasted like coffee and white chocolate and before you realised what you were doing, you shamelessly rubbed yourself against the bulge in his jeans. Lust clouded your mind, you didn’t hear Francis shout.

“Miss Romanoff, Mr Barton!” Francis shouted again and this time you managed to hear him over the sound of your pulse in your ears.

Bucky grinned into the kiss and pulled away, smiling when you chased after his lips with your own. He helped you to your feet and kept you close as you hid your face against his chest.

“Sorry, she had a bit of icing at the corner of her mouth.” Bucky said lamely and the sound of your muffled snicker made him grin.

Francis pointed to the door, anger twisting his face. “I cannot tolerate this behaviour. Get out of my shop immediately.”

“Can you blame me?” Bucky said, gesturing to you. “Look at her!”

“Bu-Clinton, let’s go!” You took his hand and dragged him out of the room.

You hastily left the bakery and ran with Bucky up the street until you were far enough to burst out laughing. He wrapped his arms around your frame and slowly raised both hands to cup your face. His blue orbs shone with adoration, making you bit your bottom lip bashfully.

“You’re killing me, Y/n.” He ran his thumb across your bottom lip. “Would you like to try that restaurant you kept talking about?”

Heat suddenly spread through your body. “Can we go for a walk in the park after that?” You recalled his story and gave him an innocent smile that made him shiver.

He laughed quietly before his face fell serious. “I’ll give you anything you want.”

You looked into his eyes for a moment before you chuckled nervously. “You know, Natasha is going to kill us.”

“Let her try.” Bucky pecked your lips. “I’ll slice her up.”

He chuckled when you hit his chest with the flat of your hand and frowned up at him. Tilting your chin, he claimed your lips in a slow, passionate kiss, drawing out your soft moans.


	14. Live Wild - Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the epilogue of the drabble series Live Wild. It's an AU where Bucky is a detective and saves Reader during a hostage situation. You may wanna check it out, but I'm pretty sure you can read this without having read the previous parts. Have fun :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1012 words  
> Nothing but fluff :)

 

**Two Years Later**

Things were going pretty smoothly between you and your saviour. You asked James if he would be your date at Natasha and Sam’s wedding. Sam wasn’t really fond of him at first, but the two loved to tease each other.

You saw the others hostages more often, still giggling at the fact that people called you _the Avengers_. Tony seemed quite proud of the name and you couldn’t help but wonder if he wasn’t the one who came up with it.

James had been suspended for six months and took the time to study for the sergeant’s exam, as well as shower you with sweet attentions. Exactly one year after you met him, kissed him and almost lost him, he asked you to move in with him. You said yes, you were practically already living with him.

Today was his big day. After passing the sergeant’s exam, he was now promoted to Sergeant. His mother and father were standing next to you as the three of you entered the auditorium. Steve was already there, Sam and Natasha too. They waved when they saw you look around the room.

“I’m going to try to find my boy,” Winifred said as she looked towards the stage.

As she approached a group of police officers in their official suits, one man’s face lit up. She hugged her son quickly and pulled him aside.

“You have it?” He asked, looking over his shoulder to make sure you were not around.

She nodded, not really trusting her voice, and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small square black box. James opened it to make sure his grandmother’s ring was as beautiful as he remembered it and a wave of panic went through him. He couldn’t hide anything from his mother.

She laid her hand on his shoulder and said in a gentle voice, “Everything will be fine, James.”

“What if she says no?”

“Impossible.” Winifred shook her head. “When are you going to propose?”

“Tonight, I booked a table at her favorite restaurant. We’ll go for a walk after and that’s when I’ll ask her.”

“Oh, you don’t want to do it now?”

“In front of all of you?” He scoffed, looking at the large group of friends and family. “No, thank you.”

“You better tell me everything later.”

“Mom,” He whined, but she gave him a pointed look and he gave up. “Fine, I’ll tell you.”

She smiled at him before she saw you walking up to them. “Quick, she’s coming,” He pocketed the box in his jacket. “Don’t act weird and stay calm.” She pecked his cheek as you stopped behind him.

“I don’t want to inter-”

“He’s all yours, dear.” She gave you a sweet smile before walking back toward the group of friends and family.

He turned around to face you and you let yourself really look at him, from his wide shoulders to his taut thighs. Your breath caught at the sight of him.

“I rarely see you in your uniform,” You cooed, resting your hands flat against his chest. “You look hot.”

With boyish bashfulness, James hung his head and your lips split into a grin. He was so damn cute. He wrapped his arms around your frame and pulled you close to his chest.

“I’m terrified.” He admitted. You loved that he was always so honest with you. He wasn’t afraid to tell you how he felt, you trusted each other implicitly.

“I’m so proud of you, Bucky.” You cupped his face in your hands, your thumbs gently rubbing his cheekbones. “You worked hard, it’s only fair you get a promotion.”

James smiled at you, feeling as if his heart was going to explode. The ceremony looked like a piece of cake compared to the question he was about to ask you. A voice came through the speakers asking everyone to take a seat as the ceremony was about to start. You kissed him and pulled away, but he stopped you.

“Say it one last time, doll.”

You smiled, knowing what he was talking about. “I love you, _Detective_ Barnes.”

“Love you too, babe. Damn, I’m gonna miss that nickname.”

You chuckled as you joined the others. The ceremony started with a speech from the Mayor before the chief of police called the newly promoted officers.

“Sergeant James Barnes will be pinned by his father Georges Barnes.”

The proud father took the badge and pinned it to his son’s uniform. They hugged as the audience clapped. Steve, who was sitting next to you, was recording the whole thing.

He whistled before you all stood up and cheered. Your eyes locked with James’ and you blew him a kiss that he pretended to catch before he clapped his hand to his heart. At the end of the ceremony, you all joined him. Little Cassie and Scott congratulated him with a warm hug as did Tony and his wife, Pepper. James held out his arms to you, the action made T’Challa laugh softly.

“So, Sergeant Barnes, first round’s on you?”

“Sorry, but we have other plans.” James replied with a grin.

“Do we?” You quirked your brows at him. He nodded, which only increased your curiosity. “This is all mysterious, _Sarge_.”

You couldn’t help noticing the way his grip tightened around your waist. This was exactly what you wanted and you could practically hear his heart thumping at the new nickname.

“We should go, I don’t want to lose our reservation.” James said, taking your hand.

You said goodbye to your friends and family, but didn’t notice the glimmer of excitement in Winifred’s eyes or the way Steve wiggled his eyebrows at James. However, you did notice how nervous James was.

“You okay?”

“Always,” James brought your intertwined hands up to his mouth and kissed your knuckles. “I’m glad you were my reckless witness.”

“So am I.” You grinned and let him lead you through the crowd, toward the exit.

A familiar flutter in his heart made him smile as he patted his breast pocket and felt the little square box.


	15. Adagio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader finds Bucky’s journal in her apartment after he broke up with her. Requested by Anonymous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,477 words. Depression, Language probably, idk  
> It’s named Adagio because I listened to Samuel Barber’s Adagio for strings while writing this. Such a beautiful song. Also there are two BuckyNat quotes, they were too beautiful I couldn’t resist. Hope you’ll like the story :)

 

“You should find a new secret place for your diary, miss.”

The repairer’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts. You looked up at him and frowned as he waved a small book in the air.

“I don’t have a diary.” You extended a hand in his direction and took the book.

“Well, it’s what was blocking the vents. Should work now.” He closed the vent grill and climbed off the chair.

All your attention was focused on the small leather-bound book in your hands. You didn’t flinch when the repairer announced his ridiculously high price, you only made a noise of agreement and walked him back to the front door without taking your eyes off the book.

Once he was gone, you walked over to the kitchen and put the book on the counter. Carefully, you opened it to a random page.

Cursive letters, clear handwriting, nice loops, a bit in italics. You would recognise Bucky’s handwriting anywhere.

Panic spread through you like poison. Bucky left you 92 days ago. 3 months. You knew because, despite yourself, you counted, like some kind of addict who would always remember the last time they got their fix.

You knew it wasn’t right to read his most intimate thoughts. But he left without saying a word and you had the right to know what happened.

> _It’s a strange feeling. I know I’m at home, I’m fine and surrounded by people who want nothing but my happiness, but I feel hollow. Outside, everything is different, yet oddly familiar. The world changed, but it’s still the same old shit. There’s a voice inside me that screams ‘run away, they’ll find you.’ I don’t even know what I’m afraid of, I just know I have to keep moving._

According to the date, Bucky wrote that a month before you met. You turned a few pages and came to the day you met.

> _I met a woman today. I’m not sure met is the right word, I only held the door for her. She rewarded me with the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. Think I might have stared at her a little too long after that. She ordered a cup of coffee and left as fast as she arrived. I was still holding the door... like a buffoon. Maybe she was just a dream, but damn she was a pretty dream._

You chuckled to yourself, remembering how Bucky’s jaw fell open when he saw you. You flipped through some pages, and found the entry from your first anniversary.

> _I never wanted to kill anyone. I was forced and I know that, but it happened and I have to live with it. I had to build myself from scratch. New personality, new thoughts, new dreams... But despite everything, I consider myself a lucky man. Y/n. My girl, my best girl, the reason why I’m trying to put this behind me. She makes me remember what it’s like to feel human again. She amazes me._

Your stomach looped into knots, you had no idea how much he needed you. Flipping through more pages, you tried to find the reason why Bucky left. You read the last page, the date at the top of the page was the day he broke up with you.

> _All I’ve ever brought her is pain and worry. She’s scared. I can see it when she thinks I’m not looking at her. But I’m always looking at her. I don’t know if she’s afraid of me, of the things I could do to her if my brain snapped or if she’s afraid HYDRA’s going to find me again. I love her, but she’s better off without me._

You pulled out a note stuck between the last page and the cover. It was the note he never gave you.

> _My little doll,_
> 
> _My world was empty before you came into it, but I can’t kept turning yours upside down. Leaving you is going to be more painful than any experiment. Forgive me._
> 
> _Your Bucky_

You slammed the journal shut and aggressively wiped the tears away with your sleeve. Bucky never showed his vulnerable side and always kept his feelings locked up deep inside. You took your coat and keys and stormed out of your apartment. The traffic was heavy and it took you more than an hour to reach the compound. Your stomach churned with anticipation as FRIDAY let you in.

Despite not being an Avenger, you knew the place by heart and it hardly changed during those 92 days. You climbed the stairs to the kitchen and practically barged into the room.

Bucky was the first person you saw. He was sitting at the kitchen table with Steve and Clint. He had to look twice to make sure it was really you. You were the last person he expected to see on the threshold of the kitchen.

The whole room was suddenly silent. Steve and Clint exchanged a look before they slipped away like shadows. Bucky’s eyes landed on the book in your hand, recognising it immediately. You watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard.

You took a step closer and threw his diary on the kitchen table. It landed with a neat plop in front of him. Bucky ran his finger along the spines of the book, his heart thumping against his ribcage.

“Idiot.”

The insult made him look up at you, but he didn’t protest. You quickly avoided his eyes, those blue-grey orbs that made your insides melt without even trying.

“You love me. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bucky worried his bottom lip between his teeth, his eyes locked on the book in front of him. “It’s easier to write things down than to say them out loud.”

His voice was soft, low and filled with regret. It was almost enough to appease your anger. _Almost_.

“You made me think you never loved me.”

“I was protecting you.” He whispered.

“From what? From who?” Your voice was loud, but your tone was soft and pleading.

“From me.” He raised his head to stare at you with those shining blue eyes.

You stayed silent for a moment before you spoke again. “I’m not afraid of you.”

He scoffed, “You’ve never seen the Winter Soldier, doll. He’s still here,” He pointed his index finger to his temple. “Lurking inside my brain, waiting for me to lower my guard. When I’m alone with you, I feel like myself and if I’m not careful he’ll come back and ruin everything. I can’t lose you.”

“You broke up with me, Bucky. You already lost me.”

He cast his gaze down and smiled softly, “No, darlin’, believe me. You’re alive, it’s the only thing that matters. Losing you would crush me.”

You felt tears rush to your eyes and dug your fingernails into your palms. Bucky didn’t move when you approached the kitchen table.

“I know it’s hard for you to fight your instincts,” You said, running a hand through his short hair. “But I don’t need to be protected from you. The man you are now is the man I love. Selfless, caring, passionate, a bit of a dork.”

He chuckled quietly and raised his head to look at you. A ghost of a smile graced his lips, making your skin prickle with little goosebumps.

“Stop pushing me away and let me help you.”

“It’s a never-ending battle, doll. Can’t let you fight this with me.”

You took his hand and squeezed it tightly, “It will be a lot more difficult if you’re fighting it alone.”

His chest heaved once as he took a deep breath. He looked at you for a moment, gauging your expression.

“You’re one hell of a woman, y’know that?”

“Yeah, I remember reading somewhere that I was amazing.” You grinned, jutting your chin towards his journal.

The legs of his chair scraped against the floor as he stood up and rounded the table to stand next to you. Everything happened in a blink of an eye and you were not sure what to expect.

“There’s something I’ve never told you before,” He cupped your face. The contrast between his two palms made you close your eyes, a familiar warmth spread through your chest. “Something I should have told you a long time ago.”

You could hear the quiver in his voice. When you opened your eyes, your heart skipped a beat. His pale eyes were glassy, shinning with tears, but a slow smile spread across his lips.

“I love you.”

He leaned in and pressed his lips against yours delicately. You let him kiss you slowly, tenderly because it was what you both needed.

You felt tears fall down your cheeks, only it wasn’t your tears. Bucky’s tears fell on your cheekbones, running along the curve of your cheeks to the corners of your mouth. 


	16. Angel *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mardi Gras shenanigans. It’s porn, plot is optional.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,976 words. Language, Smoking, Dirty Talk, Oral (MR)  
> Are you ready for the longest blowjob in history… HAPPY MARDI GRAS!

 

“Did it hurt?” Sam approached you, a sly smirk on his lips. When you didn’t play along and simply shot him an unimpressed look, he snickered. “…when you fell from Heaven.”

Yeah, you were dressed as an angel.

Not your idea, though. As it turned out, Wanda was a big fan of Mardi Gras and begged until you all agreed to throw a costume party. Tuesday morning, she shoved a white dress into your arms and said you were an angel. You didn’t want to upset her, so you just rolled with it.

Sam laughed at his own joke before the smell of pancakes drew his attention away from you. You looked around the room and sighed, sipping your second glass of… whatever it was Natasha had given you. It was good, a bit fruity and bitter enough to match your mood.

Wanda, who was dressed as Violet from the Incredibles, was running around the living room, filling plates with pancakes. Loud music blasted through the speakers.

“Looking for someone?”

Natasha’s voice startled you out of your thoughts. You licked your lips, tasting the fruity tang of your drink.

“Cut the crap, Nat. You know who I’m looking for.”

“It’s more entertaining if you say it, _doll_.” She emphasized the nickname.

You glared at her, “I hate you, you know that?”

She blew you a kiss and walked towards the bar. You could use a refill, but you found yourself daydreaming about Bucky…. again.

As if on cue, Bucky and Steve entered the living room.

If you were a comic book character, there would be a bubble with the word * _GASP*_ written above your head. Bucky was dressed like a pimp from the 70s, or at least that’s what it looked like. Long hair, no beard and a dark purple suede jacket worn over an open-collar pastel shirt.

The two top buttons of his shirt were undone, allowing you a glimpse of the tanned skin of his chest. His dog tags rested on a ball chain between his pectorals. _Yummy!_

You turned to Natasha, your eyes wide with shock. She looked at you with a confused expression before her eyes darted from you to Bucky.

Natasha smirked and brought her fist up to her mouth, her tongue poking the inside of her cheek. Even though it wasn’t a very subtle gesture, she wasn’t wrong. You’d give anything to wrap your lips around his cock.

You noticed Bucky looking around with a scowl on his face. He said something to Fred Jones –sorry Steve Rogers- and walked out of the room.

It took a minute for your feet to follow your brain’s command. You walked to his bedroom door and entered without saying a word. Bucky was standing at the window, smoking a cigarette. You closed the door behind you.

“Looking for me, doll?” Bucky exhaled a puff of smoke. He took a deep drag on his cigarette, the cherry spread an orange glow across his face.

“I saw you leave. You looked stressed.”

Blowing out another cloud of toxic smoke, Bucky scoffed. “Stressed, uh? Maybe I just wanted you to follow me.”

You shuffled your feet awkwardly, feeling his gaze burning holes in you. Bucky looked at you again, up and down, and tugged his bottom lip between his teeth. He stubbed out his cigarette and closed the window.

“’M not sure angels dress like that.” He jutted his chin towards your outfit.

Bucky strutted over to you. That damn murder strut never failed to make your knees wobble. He dragged his teeth across his bottom lip, his tall frame made his presence slightly intimidating.

“No need to be shy,” He tilted your chin up until you were looking at him in the eye. “It’s just you and me. Tell me what you want.”

Your voice was caught in your throat. Sure you and Bucky had flirted around a bit and it was quite exciting. But when you opened your mouth to reply, no words came out. Luckily for you, your hand seemed to have a mind of its own and brushed against the front of his charcoal-grey wool slacks.

Bucky hissed, his stomach muscles clenched in anticipation. He moved his metal hand on top of yours and rubbed your hand over the bulge in his crotch.

“You want _this_?” He emphasized the last word and thrust his hips forward. You nodded like one of those bobblehead dolls. “You gonna have to beg for it.”

“Please.” You whined, sounding desperate.

“Please, what?” Bucky smirked down at you as you sank to your knees in front of him.

“Please, let me suck your cock.”

He shrugged one shoulder, “I don’t know. Have you been a good little angel?”

You deftly opened his trousers and tugged them halfway down his thighs. You placed an open-mouthed kiss at the base of his cock and looked up at him with a grin.

“Do you often go commando?”

“It makes things easier.” He ran his thumb over your bottom lip. “C’mon angel, we’ve been flirting for months now. Do me a favor and open your mouth for me?”

You nodded, “I’ll take good care of you.” You wrapped your fingers around the base of his hard cock and looked up at him. “You’re so big. ‘M gonna have to work real hard to fit all of you.”

“Not gonna happen if you keep talkin’, angel.”

You released his dick and licked a long stripe from base to tip, your hands resting on his thighs. He hissed between clenched teeth as you licked up the vein on the underside of his dick.

“Shit, baby!” He watched in awe as you licked the tip of his cock like a kitten. “Suck it down.”

You gave him a mock military salute before you took him into your mouth. A shiver spread through him, he threw his head back and moaned. You pulled back and rubbed the head of his dick over your bottom lip.

“Keep watching me.” You closed your lips around the engorged head and sucked.

“Is that an order, angel?”

Impressed –an also annoyed- by your boldness, he took a step back and rested his back against the wall. He lifted a dark brow, taunting you. You took the bait, it wasn’t like you weren’t already on your knees.

“Yeah, crawl for me,” He purred when you moved forward. “Desperate for my cock, darlin’?”

Bucky gripped his cock in his fist and guided it to your mouth. You opened your mouth wide and felt your lips stretch around his girth. A moan broke from his throat and it was all the validation you needed.

You worked his dick in and out of your mouth, trying to get him deep without gagging. You used your hand to stroke the part of him your mouth couldn’t take. He kept his eyes on your face, his metal fingers spread through your hair.

“ _Ah!_ Fuckin’ shit… yeah, doll.”

Pulling away from him, you sucked in a deep breath. Your lips and jaw ached, he was definitely a mouthful. Bucky stared at his cock, glistening with your saliva. Smiling up at him, you licked his balls before sucking them into your mouth.

“Touch yourself.” He commanded, his fingers weaving through your hair.

You happily complied and slid a hand between your legs, rubbing your clit.

“I bet you’re fuckin’ soaked,” He tugged at your hair, pulling your head back. “Show me.”

You held up two fingers, soaked with your juices, and Bucky bent to take your fingers into his mouth. A low groan of appreciation rumbled in the back of his throat.

“You taste real good. You like suckin’ my cock, angel?” You nodded as he straightened himself up against the wall. “ _Ooh_ , baby girl,” He hissed when you put your mouth back on him. “Can I fuck your sweet little mouth? You okay with that?”

You nodded and opened your mouth wider. He held your head in place, setting a slow pace as he fucked your mouth. You kept your eyes locked on his, your nails dug into the skin of his thighs. His thrusts became faster and deeper, his stomach taut with tension.

A chorus of moans and groans filled the room. Bucky jerked his cock out of your mouth, strings of saliva and precum linked your lips to his cock before breaking away. He watched you catch your breath, his fingers combing through your hair.

“Dirty little angel, can’t get enough of my cock.” He grinned when you took his length into your mouth again.

You hollowed your cheeks and worked him deeper, relaxing your jaw until your lips closed around the base of his cock. You swallowed around him, tears pricked your eyes as you willed yourself to hold still.

“ _Fuuuuck_ ,” Bucky slammed his metal fist against the wall, his head falling back. “ _Oh, please_ , baby girl… _Oh_ , _fuck!_ _Yeah_ … just like that… take it all.”

He didn’t know what to do with his hands. He combed his hair back with his fingers, his breathing was ragged and raw.

“’M gonna come,” He warned. His words were slurred and nearly incoherent, but it turned you on even more. “…so hard, darlin’. My baby girl, gonna fill your mouth with my hot cum. Yeah… you fuckin’ love that, uh.”

His cock throbbed in your mouth. Your name spilled from his lips in a cry of ecstasy. The sounds coming from him were like music to your ears.

Hot, thick spurts of cum filled your throat. You swallowed eagerly, it was your first taste of him and you were already addicted. You leaned back on your haunches, smiling proudly at your handiwork. It was messy and you could feel your saliva and his cum running down your chin.

Bucky sagged against the wall, his legs nearly collapsing under him. He watched you wipe your mouth with the back of your hand.

“You’re gonna be the death of me.” He panted, closing his eyes shut. “The absolute death…”

You chuckled. “We should go back to the party. We’ve been gone for a while. People will talk.” You pushed yourself off the ground, but Bucky wrapped his fingers around your elbow to hold you still.

“We’re not leaving until I claim my girl.” He lay down on the carpeted floor and pulled you down with him. “What can I say, I’m a gentleman.” He tapped your thighs, urging you to straddle his face. “Now ride my face, pretty doll.”

* * *

When you finally returned to the living room, the party had quieted down. Most of the guests were gone and the not shit-faced Avengers were cleaning up the place.

“Nice of you to show up.” Wanda mused sarcastically, throwing plastic plates into a plastic trash bag.

You and Bucky just shrugged and walked towards the sofas where Sam and Natasha were sleeping their drinks off. Natasha lazily looked up at you and grinned.

“Hey, did it hurt?” She slurred, her lips twisted into a wicked smile.

“Yeah, I know, _when I fell from heaven_ … Sam already made that dumb joke earlier.”

“No,” She shook her head, pointing to the carpet burns on your knees. “When you feel on your knees.”

“ _Oooh!_ ” Sam chuckled.

You gasped and curled your legs up on the sofa, hiding your scraped knees from prying eyes. Wanda and Steve had stopped cleaning and were staring at you.

“We were praying.” You shrugged casually.

You felt Bucky chuckle as he slipped his metal arm around your waist and pulled you against him.

“Whatever you say,” Steve scoffed. “We don’t want to mess with Bucky’s ‘ _dirty little angel’_.”

You buried your face in your hands and groaned, feeling slightly embarrassed over your actions. Bucky pressed a kiss to your bare shoulder before he whispered in your ear.

“Don’t worry, I’ll kill them all in their sleep.”


	17. Incy Wincy Spider *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my first entry for @bucky-plums-barnes “100 banging kinks for Bucky’s birthday” Reader gets bored while they watch a movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,078 words Warning: Language, Smut, Spider Walking
> 
> Spider Walking is great and very underrated. It’s driving someone insane by touching them with the pads of your fingers, sort of like a fly walking up your arm. No actual skin contact, just fleeting caresses. Hope you like it, my loves!

 

You and Bucky lay in bed, his attention focused on the screen of your laptop, his eyes following the movements of the characters in his favourite film. It was a European film, lots of smoking and swearing, and you grew tired of it after a few minutes. Needing to distract yourself, you started mapping his veiny forearm with the pad of your index.

The arm around your waist squeezed gently. “Are you bored?”

His voice startled you and your fingers stropped tracing patterns on his arm. You tilted your head up to look up at him, your lips turned up in a shy smile.

“A bit,” You admitted, laying your head back on his chest. “Was that annoying?” You slid your fingertips slowly along his forearm so he’d know what you were referring to.

A soft laugh bubbled past his lips. “Not at all. Actually, it’s very soothing.”

You were curled up against Bucky, his right arm wrapped around your waist. He pulled you closer, his warmth seeping into you. You fingers wandered up and down his forearm, barely touching his skin. You felt the hairs on his arm stand up, goosebumps covering his skin.

“You like it?” You asked without looking up.

Bucky let out a low moan. “’Mmh, feels like a fly is walking up my arm.”

“Really? When that happens I usually have the urge to slap it off.” You chuckled, stilling your movements.

“Yeah, but I know it’s you.” He shifted his hips, making you aware of his erection. “It tickles.”

You looked down the length of his body, the bulge in his loose sweatpants growing more evident. A slow smirk spread across your lips, an idea forming in the back of your mind.

“Does that excite you?”

“I guess… maybe a little.” He admitted almost sheepishly.

You pushed yourself into a sitting position. Bucky sat up with his back against the headboard, his hands limp in his lap.

“Do you want to play a little? See how far you like it?”

Your suggestion surprised him, his pupils dilated until his eyes looked black. “Only if you’re comfortable with that.”

“I’m the one who asked, silly.” You replied affectionately, then looked him up and down, studying his incredible body. “I’m not sure how to do it though.”

Bucky nodded pensively and you both fell silent, trying to think of a way to make this a lot more pleasurable. Finally Bucky suggested he wear a blindfold so that he wouldn’t know which part of him you were going to caress next.

Bucky lay down on the mattress and waited, his arms and legs spread a little. You tied the blindfold over his eyes, a shiver of anticipation ran through him.

You pressed your lips to his, your fingers weaving through his hair. It was meant to be a reassuring kiss, but passion soon took over as your mouths danced in perfect sync.

“You just relax and let me take care of you. If you can’t take it anymore, I want you to use your safe word.”

“I know the drill.” He bit his lower lip when the tips of your fingers started grazing his calf. “I love you.”

“I love you more, Sarge.”

You only touched him long enough to make him crave you. Bucky held his breath, not knowing where you would touch him next drove him crazy. It excited him even more, he whined and whimpered unable to control himself.

With a touch softer than a feather sliding across silk, you brushed your fingertips over his unshaved neck. Like a spider crawling up his skin, you moved your hand to his cheek. His muscles clenched under your hand.

You took your time and touched him everywhere; his calf, his right arm, his thighs, his chest, his beard. He closed his eyes shut behind the blindfold, the adrenaline coursing through his veins heightened his other senses. He became painfully aware of the warmth that radiated from your fingers.

His entire body started shivering, his fully erect cock standing at attention. The power you had over him thrilled you more than you were willing to admit and you felt a deep sense of pride wash over you. Your nipples hardened as his moans filled the room. Seeing him wriggle like a fish out of water made your skin prickle with goosebumps.

 _You_ had that effect on him. No one else.

“You’re alright, Sarge?” He nodded, desperately trying not to thrust his hips forward. “Need to hear you, baby.”

He licked his lips and took a few seconds to steady his breathing before he managed to gasp out a single word. “Fine.”

“Feels good?” You grinned, letting your fingertips trail down the line of dark hair below his navel.

“Baby, _please_ … I _cant_ ,” He panted in shallow breaths. “ _Touch me.._. I need you.”

Bucky gripped the quilt, twisting it tightly. Precum gushed from his slit when he felt your hand move closer, never actually touching him. It was torture, a sweet, sweet torture.

“’M gonna… _Fuck_ , ‘m gonna come.”

Disbelief laced his words. He had no idea that something so gentle could reduce him to a puddle of desire, but there he was, moaning words that made no sense. Your hand circled around his pulsating cock, tickling the dark hair curled around the base of his shaft. Bucky’s body was taut, his cock straining upward.

You lowered yourself to capture his parted lips in a searing kiss. It was his undoing. A throaty moan ripped from his throat as he came, spurt after spurt of hot, creamy cum landing on his stomach. You heard the pain in his moans and wrapped your hand around his cock, praising him as he rode out his orgasm.

“It’s okay, soldier. I’ve got you.” You peppered kisses along his jaw and cheek. The intensity of his orgasm surprised you.

It took several minutes before his breathing returned to normal.

“Oh _fuck_ ,” Were his first words. You had removed the blindfold, but he kept his eyes shut. “Holy cow! That was… _fuck_!”

You straddled his waist, your shorts now wet with his cum. Bucky slowly opened his eyes and grinned at the sight of your smug smile.

“ _Incy wincy spider went up the water spout_ ,” You sang, running your fingers up his bare chest. “ _Down came the rain and washed the spider out_.”

He chuckled at your antics and pulled you flush against him, taking your mouth in a hungry kiss.


	18. Sex Code *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second and last drabble for 100 banging kinks for Bucky’s birthday”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 921 words   
> Warnings: Smut, Unprotected Sex, Language
> 
> This kink is Inventing a secret sex language to use in public. This was fun I could have written a whole trilogy lol

 

“I think I need new shoes.”

Those simple, innocent words made you tense, a sudden warmth spread through your veins. It sounded like a simple statement, but that was the whole point. You looked up at Bucky as he flashed you a boyish smile.

“It’s like the third time you said that this week,” Clint groaned, taking a sip of coffee. “Go to the damn store and shut up about it.”

You let out a tiny chuckle and returned your attention to your phone. Out of your peripheral vision, you watched Bucky shift his weight from one foot to the other, trying to get your attention.

Earth’s mightiest heroes were completely oblivious to the tension between you and Bucky. For a group of super heroes, they were pretty clueless. You and Bucky had been dating for the past six months, but you both decided to keep things quiet.

‘ _I think I need new_ _shoes’_ was code for ‘ _I’d like you to suck my cock’_.  Bucky came up with the idea of a secret sex language that you would use around the others after Steve almost heard him say that he was going to fuck you into the mattress.

So now there was a wide range of innocent sentences that made your skin prickle with goosebumps.

“What do you think, Y/n? Do I need new shoes?”

“That’s up to you, Buck.” You quipped nonchalantly.

He bit down on his frustration, trying his hardest not to groan out loud. He knew you were enjoying torturing him, it made him want to take you right there in front of everyone.

“Well, I think I need new shoes.” His voice was low and dangerous, your heart started pounding in your chest.

“Good for you.” You shrugged, meeting his blazing eyes. “Has anyone seen my keys?”

Bucky crossed his arms over his chest, giving you playful, defiant stare. You gave him your most innocent smile to cover up the fact that you just asked him to eat you out.

“I’ll help you find your keys if you help me find a new pair of shoes.” Bucky drummed his fingers on his upper arm, showing his impatience.

Natasha turned to you, a small crease between her perfect brows. “You lose your keys a lot these days. Are you okay?”

“Careful, Y/n,” Clint stared at you. “Maybe you’re having a stroke or something.”

When you opened your mouth to protest, Natasha jumped to her feet, worry still etched on her face.

“I knew you should have seen a doctor yesterday.”

Bucky’s playful grin disappeared, his handsome face now crumpled into a frown. “What? What happened yesterday?”

There was a note of panic in his voice. Bucky was looking at you, his eyes bright with worry. You didn’t want to deal with him so you tried to make yourself as small as possible.

“Some Hydra scumbag pushed her down the stairs. She hit her head pretty hard.” Clint answered, the corners of his mouth turned down.

“I’m fine!” You nearly shouted. “Stop patronizing me. I’m not a child! And by the way, Steve is a lot more reckless than I am.”

You left the room before they could stop you. What started out as playful banter turned into a stupid argument. You made sure to slam the door behind you. If they treated you like a teenager, then so be it. You were curled up on your side in bed when you heard the door open and close very quietly. You didn’t have to be a genius to know who it was.

“Go away, James.”

The bed dipped as Bucky’s weight settled next to you. He wrapped his metal arm around your waist and pulled you tight against him, the hard muscles of his chest pressed against your back. Despite your anger, you let him spoon you.

“I know you’re perfectly capable of handling your own life, doll,” He pressed a kiss behind your ear. “But we worry. And we worry about you because we love you.”

You turned in his arms to face him. “You love me?”

“I love you.” He nodded, his smile spread to his eyes, crinkling the lines at the corners.

“I love you, too.” You hid your flustered face against his shirt, making him chuckle softly as he brought you closer to him.

Bucky tilted your head up so that you were looking at him and pushed a strand of hair away from your face. He brushed his lips over yours in a gentle kiss. You eagerly tugged at his shirt, needing to feel his warm skin.

Soon you were both naked and smiling at each other. Bucky rolled on top of you, propping himself up on his elbows so he could gaze down at you.

“Are you going to stare at me forever?” You chuckled, running your hands over his muscular back.

“You’re ruining the moment, doll face.”

“Am I?” You cupped his ass and pulled him against you.

His cock pressed against your heat and he dragged it slowly over your folds, coating himself with your juices. Bucky entered you slowly, savouring every sensation. He watched as your pussy stretched around his thick cock.

Once he was buried inside you, he heaved out a sigh and met your gaze.

“You’re the love of my life.” He cupped your jaw, the pad of his thumb caressing your cheekbone.

“Is that code for something?”

“Yeah, it’s code for ‘ _I will make love to you until you’re shivering and panting under me_.”

And he did...


	19. Ball Chain & Satin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Can you write a one shot where Bucky and Reader are getting married, but Bucky is scared. Angst or fluff, it’s up to you. Thanks!” Requested by Anonymous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,391 words. Language and Fluff!   
> I’m working on my requests, yay me! Oh boii, the fluff is strong :) Hope you’ll like it!

 

You were in front of the mirror, admiring your sleeveless satin wedding gown when someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Grabbing a fistful of satin, you gathered up the skirt of your gown and moved closer to the door. You pressed your ear against the wood and heard him shuffling around on the other side of the door.

“Buck, what are you doing here? We’re not supposed to see each other before the ceremony.”

“I wanted to see you.”

“You’ll see me in an hour. Now, hush!”

You were waiting for the sound of his footsteps, but when you didn’t hear anything, you pressed your hand flat against the cold door.

“You’re still here, right?”

“Yup.”

“Bucky,” You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. “We’ll see each other soon. Promise.”

“It’s just… I…”

You heard him sigh and your heart dropped to your stomach. Maybe he didn’t want to marry you anymore and he came here to tell you that he was leaving. Nausea caught you by surprise. You were starting to have some difficulty breathing.

You straightened your shoulders and sucked in a deep breath. “Are you leaving me? Is that why you came here?”

“What?” Bucky’s voice raised in a sudden shout. “God, no! Y/n, we’re getting married in an hour. I just need to see you. I want to hold you in my arms before we do this.”

You released a relieved breath, chuckling softly how fast you jumped to conclusion. “It’s bad luck, Bucky.”

“Come on,” He whined, turning the doorknob. It turned freely, but the door was locked. “Pretty please, baby girl.”

His words sounded muffled and you knew it was because he had his cheek pressed against the door. He was making sounds like a puppy that had been locked outside. You rolled your eyes, fighting a smile.

“Are you wearing a tie?”

“A tie?” He pulled away from the door. “Of course, I’m wearing a tie. It’s my goddamn wedding.”

“Use it as a blindfold.”

“Um, I like where this is going.”

“James!” You chastised. You heard the rustling of clothing and waited. “You’re done?” He made a sound of approbation so you unlocked the door. “No peeking.”

You took his hand and led him into the room. His suit hugged his body in all the right places. He looked even better without his tie, chest hair poked through his slightly opened shirt, his dog tags resting between his sculpted pecs.

“I can feel you checking me out,” Bucky said with a knowing smile. “It’s not fair.”

You laughed quietly and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before his arms engulfed you in a warm hug. He released a long sigh and you knew that, even though he kept joking around, he really needed this.

“Um, it’s soft,” Bucky purred in your ear as his hands ran up and down your sides, feeling the satin dress.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Buck.”

“I just wanted you to myself,” He pressed a kiss to you temple. His fingers splayed across your back, drawing you even closer. “I’m not ready to deal with their fake smiles and cringes.”

“They’re our friends and family, Buck.”

“They think I’m not good enough for you.”

He was about to add something when you cut him off. “They’re happy for us. Don’t let your mind play tricks on you.”

Bucky pulled away, but kept his hands on your shoulders. “Let’s get married!”

“Yeah, that’s kind of what we’re here to do.” You cocked a brow at him even though he couldn’t see you.

“I mean right now. Let’s say our vows, just you and I.”

He had a big smile on his face. You wanted to give him the world and if he wanted to get married in your bridal room, then who were you to say no? When you didn’t answer, he cocked his head to the side.

“Okay, but you go first.”

He trailed his fingers down your arm and laced your fingers together. The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips when he felt you shiver.

“Can I remove the tie now?”

“No.”

“Okay. I don’t need to look at you, I’ve already memorized every single one of your features.” He drew in a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. “My darlin’ girl, we took our time and together we’ve built something so strong and so special. It took me a while to realize that I was allowed to have you in my life.”

Damn it… He barely said two sentences and you already felt like crying. Thank goodness for waterproof mascara.

“Falling in love with you has been the greatest joy of my life. And yet, I’m terrified that one day you’ll get tired of soothing me from my nightmares or dealing with my mood swings. I know how much you love me, I can hear your heart pounding. I’ll do everything I can to give you the life you deserve. From this day until my last, I’ll protect you and our future family.”

You threw yourself at him and removed the tie before you hugged him hard. It was bad luck to see the bride before the weeding, but you didn’t care anymore. It was special, Bucky was a quiet and reserved man. He always told you he loved you, but this was something else.

“Sweetheart, you look gorgeous.”

Bucky took a step back, his eyes roaming over your curves. You felt your cheeks warm at the compliment. He tried to pull you against him, but you stopped him.

“Did you write it down?”

“No,” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I just let my heart speak freely. Don’t worry, I wrote my vows for the ceremony. It’s less sappy.”

“I guess it’s my turn now,” You took his left hand tightly in your hands. “James, you amaze me every day. You worked so hard to become the man you are now. You don’t have to be perfect, none of us are, but you try your best every single day and you do it with a smile on your face.”

Bucky blushed and it made your heart flutter. 

“I love every part of you,” You kissed his metal knuckles. “Good or bad, happy or sad, metal or flesh. I can’t wait to show the world how much I love you.”

He looked ready to cry. His eyes were filled with tears and his smile lit up his whole face. He cleared his throat and put his right hand on top of yours.

“I, James Buchanan Barnes, take you, Y/n Y/l/n, to be my wife, my partner, my best friend and my one true love.”

You repeated his words, your voice shaking a bit. It was nice to do this without an audience. You were free to laugh and enjoy yourself. Bucky removed his dog tags and placed them around your neck.

“Ball chain and satin don’t go together very well, but-”

“It’s perfect,” You cut him off, tucking the tags inside your dress before you wrapped your arms around his neck. “I think you can kiss the bride now.”

Holding you against him, Bucky felt the warmth of your skin as you steadied yourself by placing your hands on his chest. You kissed and hugged each other again and again until you were gasping for air.

“Go,” You peppered his mouth and jaw with kisses. “You made me cry. Now I have to redo my makeup.”

“Just one more thing. How much did you pay for that pretty dress?”

“Why are you asking?” You eyed him suspiciously.

“I wanna know if you’ll let me rip that dress right off ya tonight.”

You rolled your eyes, but a shiver ran down your spine, betraying you. “Well, it was pretty expensive, but luckily for you, I don’t plan to wear it again so…”

Bucky scrunched up his face and clenched his fists in a silly victory gesture. You picked his tie off the floor and put it around his neck.

“See you soon, wifey.”

He left before you could reply anything, but you heard him whistle. As his footsteps disappeared, you grinned to yourself. Tears of joy were the best kind of tears.


	20. Selfless Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A journey toward recovery and the story of a broken man falling in love with a woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 8,207 words  
> All ten parts of this series into one big oneshot.  
> I wanted this to be a little feel good story, so there isn't a lot of angst. But tw for language, injuries, blood, depression and nudity

 

“So, what is he like?”

You sat cross-legged on the freshly made bed while Wanda and Clint were assembling an Ikea wardrobe. They shared a look and frowned before Wanda craned her neck back to look up at you.

“I’m not sure,” she said, using her powers to tighten the screws, “we didn’t really talk, mostly fought.”

You nodded, smoothing the bedspread nervously. Like all the bedrooms in the facility, it had a bed, a wardrobe and a desk.

You looked at the soft sage green walls and remembered the day you moved into the building. You were so excited to decorate your room, to make it your home. You hoped that Bucky would feel the same way.

“But he is Captain Rogers’ friend so I believe he is trustworthy,” Vision said, rolling out the champagne-coloured rug.

Clint got to his feet and dusted himself off. “You guys are practically neighbors.”

It was true. Bucky’s bedroom was at the far end of the corridor, right next to yours. You both had a great view down into the garden, but you were far away from the kitchen and the living area. You briefly wondered what he’d be like as a neighbour when Natasha entered the room.

“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” She gave you a stern look. “We’re leaving in five minutes, Y/n!”

“But I don’t want to leave, I won’t get to see him,” you whined, getting off the bed and crossing the room. “Wait! How should we call him? Bucky? James? Sir?”

Clint wore an amused expression on his face. “Why would you call him ‘sir’?”

“He’s older than me. It’s called respect.”

Clint opened his mouth to retort, a scheming smirk tugging at his lips. You knew he wanted to make a dirty joke, so you left before he could say a word. You changed into your combat suit and joined Natasha and Tony in the quinjet.

Later that day, Steve gave Bucky a tour of the compound, which ended in Bucky’s bedroom. He gave a slow nod of appreciation as Steve set his bag on the bed.

“So am I an Avenger?” Bucky asked, looking through the window.

“Technically, yeah.” Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “We need your shrink’s approval before you can join us on missions, but there’s plenty of work here.”

Bucky turned his head to look at Steve. “Paperwork.”

Steve gave him a tight-lipped smile and nodded. Bucky was grateful to Steve for his support, but he wasn’t sure he belonged there. Not after everything he had done. Steve decided to give him some space and suggested he explore the facility. Bucky walked him back to the door.

“Whose room is that?” he asked, pointing to your door.

“That’s Y/n’s room.”

“I don’t think I met her yet.” Bucky tried to put a face to the name.

“She left today with Nat and Tony. They should be back in a few weeks.”

The arrangement obviously didn’t thrill the billionaire, but he agreed to let Bucky stay. His anger had subsided. He understood that Bucky wasn’t responsible for his actions, but it didn’t change the fact that he saw Bucky’s hand wrapped around his mother’s throat.

Bucky stared at your door for a moment, wondering what you looked like. He didn’t know it yet, but you were about to turn his world upside-down.

*

After a few weeks, Bucky created his own routine. It helped him deal with his anxiety. He woke up every morning at 8am, even though he only slept three hours tops. Then, he padded his way to the kitchen where he ate his oatmeal and sipped his coffee. He spent his morning working out at the gym before he dealt with the paperwork and reports.

He hated paperwork with a passion, but he did it without complaining. His therapist suggested that he should socialize a bit, so he reluctantly joined the others for dinner.

His days were dull and monotonous and he liked them this way. For a moment at least. Now, he desperately needed some excitement.

One night, he was sitting at his desk, writing in his journal, when he heard groans and moans coming from the room next door. He looked up from his notebook and frowned. The clock Steve gave him read 3AM.

It took him a while to understand that those were not moans of pleasure. He peeked into the hallway and saw light under your door.

You came back from your mission with a large gash on your shoulder and assured Natasha and Tony that you were fine. You were in your bathroom, trying to reach the first-aid kit when someone knocked on your door. You grunted loudly and made your way to the door.

“Sir Bucky,” you gasped at the sight of the long-haired soldier.

You cringed at the sound of your words. You could practically hear Clint’s laugh ringing in your head. Bucky’s concerned frown turned into an embarrassed smile.

“Just Bucky,” he replied with an awkward chuckle, then cleared his throat. “Are you okay? You’re kind of bleeding on the rug.”

“Oh, that thing?” You casually gestured to the large wound on your shoulder. You tried to act as if it were just a scratch, but the pain was unbearable. “Yeah, it hurts so bad,” you whined, dropping the act. “Can you help me?”

Bucky pushed the door open and closed it once he was inside. He told you to sit on the bed while he went to the bathroom to take the first-aid kit. When he came back, he saw you grimacing at your wound.

He sat next to you and soaked some clean rag in iodine. You jumped when he started to clean your wound. You pressed your eyes shut, focusing on happy thoughts. He was quiet, too quiet for your liking. Your moans and groans echoed through the room, making you feel like an idiot.

The tip of his tongue poked out in concentration while he stitched you up. His warm breath fanned across your neck and shoulder. You shivered.

“It tickles.”

“The needle?” he asked with a curious frown.

“No, your breath.”

“Sorry.”

You relaxed when he wrapped a strip of gauze around your shoulder. He made sure it wasn’t too tight before he gathered the dirty compresses.

“Thank you.” You smiled sheepishly as he opened your bedroom door.

“No problem.”

His tight smile made you feel like you had upset him. You wrapped your non-injured arm around your middle, trying to seek some comfort. Bucky noticed the pained expression on your face and tried to muster up a nice smile, but you were no longer looking at him. He returned to his room, cursing himself for being so awkward.

The next morning, at precisely 7AM, a loud noise startled him out of his sleep. His instincts kicked in. He burst into your bedroom, his gun drawn and his senses on high alert. He scanned the room, then lowered his weapon when he saw you lying on the carpeted floor.

“Morning.” You grinned through the pain. “I was trying to get dressed, but it’s not easy with only one hand.”

“I know the feeling.” He held out his hand to help you up.

“I’m Y/n by the way,” you said. “Nice to finally meet you. So, do you like your room?” He nodded and you tilted your head, smiling. “You don’t talk very much… I don’t mind.”

Bucky looked down at his feet and grinned. When he raised his head, you were staring at him. His smile faltered and he felt his face grow hot. A smile touched your lips when you saw a deep flush creep up from his neck to his cheeks.

“Breakfast?” he offered with a small shrug.

You nodded enthusiastically and walked with him to the kitchen. Everyone was already up, you noticed Wanda’s favourite mug in the sink and a note from Clint wishing everyone a good day. Such a dad.

“Yikes!” you scrunched up your nose as Bucky set a bowl of oatmeal on the table. “You’re gonna eat that?”

Bucky nodded and sat at the kitchen table. Dipping his spoon into the cooling oatmeal, he watched you move around the kitchen. He chuckled quietly when you started singing to yourself.  

“How’s your shoulder?” he asked after a moment.

“Okay, I guess. It hurts a bit.” You bit into a piece of toast and pushed the food into your cheek to leave room for talking. “I’ve never been injured before.”

“Newbie?”

You chuckled. “Nope, I’m just really good.”

“So what happened?”

“Twenty agents, one Y/n. There’s only so much a girl can take.”

Bucky didn’t talk much, but he enjoyed listening to you talk. He loved the way you expressed yourself: vulnerable, yet strong. Entranced by your voice and your stories, he watched you with a smile on his face.

*

The change in Bucky’s behaviour surprised everyone. He talked and smiled a little more, he stayed around after dinner. Even his therapist said he looked happier.

Your wound healed slowly, it left a scar shaped like a crescent moon. You often found yourself tracing it with the pad of your index. It reminded you of Bucky.

There was something about him that put you at ease. Perhaps it was his shy demeanour or his selflessness. Whatever it was, you were growing fond of him and it terrified you, so you decided to keep your distance.

Rebecca Kaplan, skilled psychologist, observed Bucky silently. He was snapping the elastic band around his wrist, a tell-tale sign of his anxiety.

He avoided her eyes. He knew he had to speak first, it was one of her rules. Once, they had spent an entire session in complete silence because he had refused to speak.

“Doc, I’m not good at this,” he groaned. “Where I’m from we don’t talk about our feelings. We lock them away deep inside and pretend they don’t exist.”

“Ah, the 30s,” she grinned and nodded towards the elastic band around his wrist. “What troubles you?”

He sighed, trying to put his thoughts into words. “I think Y/n hates me.”

Dr Kaplan nodded slowly. During the last three sessions, Bucky had talked about you at length. She quickly understood that he was developing romantic feelings for you, but he was clueless.

“Why do you think that, Bucky?”

“She doesn’t talk to me anymore.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Did I do something wrong?” he said, more to himself than to her.

“Why don’t you talk to her?”

“I can’t. I tried,” he groaned. “I stutter and blush like we’re in some kind of parallel universe and I’m Steve Rogers.”

“And your journals?”

“There’s no way in hell I’m showing her that.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she replied, shaking her head. “Maybe you could write her a letter.”

“I don’t know,” he sighed after a moment of contemplation.

Later that day, Bucky returned to the compound. A delicious smell greeted him the moment he opened the door. He couldn’t help but inhale deeply as he entered the kitchen.

“It’s soup,” Wanda grinned when she saw him sniff the air like a dog. “My grandmother’s recipe. I’ve added alphabet pasta, it was Pietro’s favorite.”

She smiled a sad smile as she remembered her late brother. Bucky wasn’t sure what to do, so he offered to set the table. When he was done, she told him dinner would be ready in half an hour. He retreated to his bedroom and tried to write you a letter. Ten minutes later all he had was ‘ _Dear Y/n_ ’.

When FRIDAY informed him that dinner was ready, Bucky went to your bedroom, but you were not there. Feeling a bit down, he walked down the hallway to the kitchen.

It was just Sam, Wanda, Bucky and you that night, the others were either with their families or on missions. You sat in front of Sam as Wanda poured the soup into deep plates. She sat next to Sam and passed you the bread basket. You frowned when she smiled at someone standing behind you.  

Bucky sat next to you, careful not to touch you. You looked up at him and gave him a half smile. Sipping your soup quietly, you threw occasional glances at Bucky.

You were falling hard for him and you wanted to believe that you could cross the line from friends to lovers. It happened to Monica and Chandler and they were happy. But this was your life, not some TV show. If things didn’t work out between you, you’d lose your best friend.

You didn’t want to mess things up with Bucky. Besides, you knew he was still struggling with his demons. The timing wasn’t right.

While Wanda and Sam were chattering away, Bucky watched you from the corner of his eye. Your shoulders were slumped and you looked utterly defeated. It made his heart sink.

He smiled softly, an idea forming in his mind. His brows pulled together in concentration as he wrote you a message in alphabetti spaghetti. He gave you a nudge, prompting you to look at him. You followed his gaze and saw three letters lined up on the edge of his plate.

_H E Y_

When you smiled at him, your face lit up with glee and he couldn’t stop staring at you. He tore his eyes away from yours and used his spoon to fetch more letters.

_U O K_

You stared at the three new letters for a moment before you looked back at him and nodded. He mirrored your smile and pushed the letters back into the soup.

You turned to Sam and Wanda who were talking about their incoming mission. They didn’t seem to notice that you and Bucky were in your own little bubble. Bucky gave you another nudge.

_M I S S U_

You felt tears prickle at the corners of your eyes.  _He missed you_. You were so busy running away from your feelings that it didn’t occur to you that Bucky might need you.

You hung your head in shame, feeling like the worst friend in the world. You forced yourself to meet his gaze and mouthed the word ‘ _sorry_ ’.

He smiled and held your hand under the table. You laced your fingers with his and gave him a reassuring squeeze, letting him know that everything was fine. At this moment, you made a vow to yourself that you’d always be there for him.

*

You gazed into the mirror and gave a nod of appreciation. Your long dress hugged your body like skin, revealing curves that everyone would die for. You smiled, checking your teeth for lipstick, and walked to the kitchen. The sound of your heels clicking on the floor caught Sam and Steve’s attention.

Sam made a funny sound, hallway between a whistle and a sigh. He took your hand and kissed the back of it.

“Look at us,” you said with grin, “all dressed up to the nines.”

“Not everyone,” Sam replied with a nod towards the kitchen island where Bucky was standing.

He straightened his posture as you approached. You brows furrowed when you took in his outfit: a Henley and a pair of loose sweats. Your mood turned sour when you realised he wasn’t going to attend the charity ball.  

“You look…” he paused, at a loss for words. “…wow.”

You looked down at your feet, fighting a big, goofy smile. “Thanks. You’re not coming?” you asked, unable to hide the disappointment in your voice.

Bucky swallowed thickly. He couldn’t stand seeing you so upset, not when he knew it was all his fault.

“It’s not something I enjoy anymore.” He looked away and shrugged. “I-I get anxiety and stuff… People stare at me like I’m a freak, so I get cranky and I’m sure I’ll ruin everyone’s night. It’s better if I just stay here.”

Before you could object, Steve asked if you were ready to go. You nodded, not looking away from Bucky’s sky blue eyes.

“Unless you want me to stay,” you said quickly, but Bucky shook his head.

“No, have fun, Y/n. I’m going to watch neat-flix and order a pizza.”

“Netflix,” you corrected with a smile.

“Yeah, that too,” Bucky smirked before his expression darkened. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Someone has to,” you replied and pressed your lips to his cheek in a quick kiss, sending warmth and guilt to his heart. An odd combination he wasn’t sure he liked.

The party was in full swing, everyone was laughing and chatting. You stared at your drink without really seeing it. You had been excited about this party for weeks and even dolled yourself up, hoping to impress Bucky. But now instead of enjoying your night out, you were sulking alone in a corner.

Sighing heavily, you quickly scanned the room for your teammates. It seemed like they were all having fun. Your eyes rounded when you saw Bucky. He stood at the threshold of the ballroom, dressed in a tight suit, his slightly greasy hair tied up into a bun. It was obvious he had dressed in a hurry, but he looked better than ever.

You watched him as he looked around the room, searching for someone. His eyes landed on you and your heart raced. You set your glass down on a nearby table and met him in the centre of the room.

“Hey!” He sounded out of breath.

“Hey,” you parroted, “I thought you had bigger plans tonight.”

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darted around like he was expecting someone to attack him. He cleared his throat awkwardly, avoiding your question. “Were you having fun?”

You snorted. “God, no! It’s the most boring party I’ve ever been to.”

“Dance with me.”

With a lopsided grin, Bucky took a step back and held his hand out, urging you to take it. He clasped your hand with his and settled the other around your waist. You sway back and forth to a slow song and briefly wondered if he could hear the drumming of your heart.

“I haven’t danced in a long time,” he admitted, his lips close to your ear.

“You’re still pretty good at it.”

He pulled back to look at you. “I never thought I’d dance again, but dancing with you is easy.” He tightened his grip around your waist. “Everything’s easier when I’m with you.”

His words sent waves of heat through your body. You took a deep breath before you replied, “You’re the only man I want to dance with.”

You danced in silence, feeling like this party wasn’t so boring after all.

*

As the weeks rolled by, you caught a glimpse of the man Bucky used to be and you loved it. He was charming, witty, generous and even a little cocky.

When he visited his sister, she lived in a nursing home in Brooklyn, she gave him a box filled with all sorts of trinkets and pictures. Steve stood next to him, offering moral support. That evening, you and Bucky were sitting on the floor at the foot of his bed, looking at the pictures.

You marvelled at how happy and carefree he looked. Even dressed in well-worn, everyday clothes, he still looked incredibly dashing.

“Where was this picture taken?” you asked, turning the photograph toward him.

He took it between his index finger and thumb. “Coney Island. We saw Mae West that day.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, she was a-”

“Movie star,” you replied with a grin, “I know.” You looked at the photos spread on the floor between you two. “Your sister took a lot of pictures.”

“Yeah, my folks had an old brownie.”

“A cake?”

Bucky laughed. “No, it’s a camera. It was cheap, something like two dollars.”

Your eyes widened. “Two dollars! Are you serious?”

“Yup, now you see why your seven-dollar coffee gives me heart palpitations.”

You rolled your eyes playfully and continued to sort through the pictures. Steve looked cute, his hands always buried deep in his pockets. He smiled shyly, avoiding the camera while Bucky was practically posing.

“How much do you remember?”

He looked down at the picture in his hands, lost in thought for a long moment.

“I have no idea who these people are.” He looked up at you and turned the photograph so you could see it. “Maybe one day I’ll remember, but I’m no longer trying to remember my past. I want to move on, y’know?”

Bucky had that glazed, empty look in his eyes so you quickly changed the subject. “You looked good with short hair.”

“I get that a lot.” He shook his head, grinning.

“I bet you had tons of girls chasing you.”

Bucky’s nose scrunched in the cutest way. “I was popular, but it’s not what you think. It was a different time. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of action, but most of the time it was just cuddles and kisses behind the church.”

“A real heart-throb,” you mocked.

He let out a small, guilty chuckle that made your stomach do flip-flops. Bucky heard your heart knocking hard inside your chest and his blood instantly warmed up. It was an amazing feeling, he hoped it would last forever.

A knock on the door broke the spell.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you had company,” Steve apologised and retreated, closing the door.

“No, come in,” you said, pushing yourself off the floor. “I have to go anyway, Natasha’s waiting for me.”

You patted Steve on the arm as you brushed past him and left the room, closing the door behind you. Steve sat on the floor in front of Bucky and observed him silently. Bucky’s jaw clenched. He took a deep breath to keep from groaning out his frustration.

“If you’ve got something to say, say it before I kick you in the groin,” Bucky grunted, not meeting his friend’s eyes.

“It’s nice,” Steve shrugged, “you and Y/n. Look, I’ll tell you what I said to Banner. Don’t wait too long. You both deserve a win.”

“When did you become a love expert?” Bucky fought back a smirk.

“Buck.”

“Steve,” he shot back in the same exasperated tone.

They stared at each other for a moment, their eyes narrowed, before they burst out laughing. Bucky took an old photograph and handed it to Steve.

“We haven’t changed that much.” Steve smiled fondly at the picture.

“We changed plenty, pal.”

“You’re right,” Steve replied, a sad smile turning up the corners of his mouth. “If we were still in the 30s, you would have sneaked off behind the church with Y/n and put your hand under her blouse.”

“It’s called cuddling,” Bucky grumbled.

Steve tilted his head, smirking. “No, it’s called fondling.”

Steve was right. Back then, Bucky could have sweet-talked a girl into almost anything, but then HYDRA got their hands on him and everything turned sour. Now he was an emotionally and physically broken man, but there was something he never expected.  _You_.

Flirting with you was so easy, like playing a game of cat and mouse, and he realized how much he had missed the thrill of the chase. He had never felt this way before, his whole body was burning, ready to be touched again. It was time to do something about it.

*

Asking you out proved more difficult than he had thought. How do you ask your best friend out on a romantic date? He tried to rehearse it in front of his mirror, but Sam caught him and teased him endlessly. His natural response was to go to the gym and punch something.

“What’s happening between you and Bucky?” Natasha asked with a knowing grin as you walked down the hall toward the training room.

“Don’t act like you don’t know, Nat. It doesn’t suit you.” You bumped your shoulder with hers. “I’m not blind, I know he likes me and I like him too, but we’re… taking it slow.”

Reaching the door, you both walked inside the gym. Natasha’s eyes automatically scanned the room. Bucky and Steve were sparring on the mat, their ridiculously small shirts hugging their broad frames.

When he saw you, Bucky arched his shoulders, making himself look bigger. Steve caught him off guard and, soon, Bucky was lying face down on the mat.

“Serves you right,” Steve pulled him to his feet. “You were distracted.”

Bucky shot him a dirty look before he turned around and saw you and Natasha standing a few steps away, staring at him. He mustered a smile.

“Buck, I’d like to see you spar with Y/n.” Steve used his Captain America voice.

Bucky nodded and pushed a few sticky strands of hair off his face. You smiled as he struggled to adjust to his new haircut. His hair was still long enough to fall into his face, but not long enough to tie back.

You stood with your fists raised and Bucky mirrored your posture. He blocked your first attack and gave you an impressed nod, witnessing your fighting skills first-hand. Natasha and Steve were watching silently.

Bucky wasn’t holding back his punches and you really appreciated that. He threw his punches harder, trying to throw you on the mat. His muscles flexed each time he touched you.

You used Natasha’s favourite move, but he saw it coming and pulled your hair back hard. There was no way you could beat him fair and square. You considered your options. What was the Winter Soldier’s greatest weakness? He didn’t have any. What was Bucky Barnes’ greatest weakness?

 _You_.

You cried out in fake pain, like something from a horror movie, and Bucky released you immediately. He turned you to face him and cupped your jaw in his hands, searching your face for any signs of pain. Grinning devilishly, you pushed your full weight into him. He lost his balance, making him fall flat on his back.

You landed on top of him and chuckled.

“I win!”

“You cheated,” he grumbled, still cupping your face.

You scoffed. “Says the man who pulled my hair. You play dirty, Bucky.”

The sound of someone clearing their throat pulled your attention away from him. Suddenly remembering you were not alone, you pushed yourself off Bucky and smiled sheepishly at Steve and Natasha.

“Ready to fight, Widow?” you asked her.

Natasha cocked a brow at you, silently telling you that you were not fooling anyone. She grinned and joined you as Bucky scrambled to his feet. He gathered his things and followed Steve out of the room.

“That was entertaining,” Steve teased, sarcasm dripping from his words.

“Shut up,” Bucky grumbled. “So what do you say? Can I join the team?”

“You know I can’t allow that,” Steve sighed.

“Is it because of the shrink? Steve, she says I’m good. Even signed the damn paper-”

“It’s not just that,” Steve cut him off. “The way you act around Y/n makes me think you won’t be able to keep fighting if something were to happen to her. Buck, if you lose it everytime she-”

“If pigs could fly,” Bucky reflected, stopping in the middle of the hall. Steve turned around, fidgeting under Bucky’s stare. “C’mon! Who do you think I am?”

Steve sighed. “Listen, it’s not easy. Sometimes, not everyone comes back and we’re all aware of that. If you join the team, you have to accept that each mission can be her last.”

Bucky pondered his words for a moment, then looked back at Steve. “I may need another week or two.”

Steve put his hand on Bucky’s shoulder and squeezed. “No rush, Buck.”

Bucky returned to his room, he needed to be alone. He stayed in the shower for a long time and let the hot water massage away his tensions. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.

Bucky wiped the fog off the mirror with his hand and looked at his reflection. He was deep in thought when he heard someone knock at the front door. Clad only in a white towel wrapped around his waist, he swung the door open. Your eyes widened at the sight of Bucky’s taut chest and damp hair.

“Hey!” You cleared your throat and darted your gaze away. “Do you want to hear a scary story?”

“Always.”

“Steve’s cooking dinner.”

Bucky grinned. “Sounds dreadful.”

“Yeah,” you chuckled, “everyone has already left. Wanna go eat dinner outside?” You saw him frown, it was probably the word ‘outside’ that made him hesitate. “Please, Bucky.”

Your fake sad pout made his heart lurch. “Fine, but I want pancakes.”

“Oh, breakfast-for-dinner? I like how you think.”

“Let me throw some clothes on and I’ll join you in a minute,” he said, suddenly aware of his state of undress.

“Take your time, I need to take a shower.”

Bucky closed the door and searched through his closet for something to wear. He heard the sound of running water coming from your bathroom and had to try really hard not to let his imagination run wild.

He was going out with you. It wasn’t exactly a date, but it could become one…

*

At the pancake house, you sat across from Bucky and studied the menu. There were so many different choices, you were completely lost. Seeing you hesitate, Bucky ordered a huge breakfast fest, including a large stack of pancakes and two different kinds of juices.

“You’re insane,” you laughed when the waitress left. “We’ll never be able to eat all that food.”

“Don’t worry, I’m starving.”

You noticed he kept his metal hand on his thigh under the table. He looked around, hoping no one would recognize him. You watched him with a fond smile.

“Nervous?”

He pursed his lips into a tight smile. “That obvious, uh?”

“It’s okay, they’re not looking at you,” you said with a smile. “And even if they were, I’m sure they’d be staring at your  _very impressive_  biceps.”

Bucky shook his head, grinning. You laid your hand, palm up, on the table. He took it and weaved his metal fingers through yours.

“I know they’re not looking at me,” he said, bringing your hand to his lips. “Not when you’re with me.”

You looked down at your lap, fighting a silly grin. “You’re a smooth talker, James.”

“It’s coming back to me.”

The waitress came back with your drinks and food, forcing him to drop your hand. It gave you a few moment to regain your composure. You looked at the food on the table and let out a nervous laugh.

“Everything looks so delicious.”

Bucky agreed with a nod, his eyes wide in amazement. You chuckled at his excitement and cut into your pile of pancakes. You shoved your first forkful of blueberry pancakes into your mouth, your eyes rolling back into your skull.

“Oh, God,” you moaned in pleasure, “it’s so good!”

The sound that left your mouth made Bucky choke on his orange juice. He shifted in his seat, willing his rapidly growing bulge to cease.

“Are you okay?” You tilted your head, frowning concernedly. Still coughing, Bucky nodded. He was glad that you seemed oblivious to the reaction you caused. “Went down the wrong pipe?”

“You could say that.”

You furrowed your brows, but he dismissed your concern with a wave of his hand. He hid his embarrassed face behind his glass, screaming internally.

The conversation flowed easily between you. You shared bites of your food and agreed that blueberry pancakes were the best. You chuckled, wiping away a smudge of blueberry on Bucky’s chin.

Time seemed to fly by, and before you knew, the waitress brought the bill. Bucky reached for his wallet, but you beat him to it. You dropped a few bills and a generous tip on the table.

“I took some money from the swear jar before we left.”

Bucky gaped at you. “You’re incredible.”

“Not really,” you replied with a shrug, “but Steve and his potty mouth are pretty amazing.”

You walked back to Bucky’s bike and put your helmet on before you climbed on behind him and wrapped your arms around his waist. Bucky removed the kickstand and made sure you were sitting comfortably before he pulled out into traffic.

When you arrived at the compound, you noticed Sharon’s car parked in the driveway. Steve must have called her after everyone bailed on him. The kitchen was empty, but you nudged Bucky and nodded toward the half-touched plates of food on the table.

Suddenly, a moan tore through the silence. You distinctly heard the words  _‘Oh, my God’_  before you and Bucky burst out laughing. There was no way Steve and Sharon heard you, they were making  _a lot_  of noise, but you still tried to stifle your giggles.

You led Bucky down the corridor towards your rooms, turned the corner and stopped. This part of the compound was always quiet.

Bucky stood next to your door, he didn’t want the night to end. You stayed silent, mindlessly tracing the scar on your shoulder.

“I see you do that a lot,” Bucky said, looking at your hand.

“It reminds me of you.” You smiled at the crescent moon scar and raised your eyes to look at him. His expression was careworn, almost hurt. “You patched me up the night we met. You took care of me.”

Bucky took a step closer and carefully raised his hand. “May I?”

You nodded, eager to feel his touch. He ran his index finger along your scar, seemingly entranced by it. His hand skimmed down your arm and he intertwined your fingers together, gently tugging you closer.

“I want to be your man,” he slowly closed the distance between you, “if you’ll have me.”

Bucky waited for your approval, the tip of his nose touching yours. Your eyes were already closed when you nodded. His lips brushed yours, back and forth, like a feather. It was so tender that tears stung behind your eyes. When he pressed his lips against yours, you wrapped your free arm around his waist and pulled him to you.

He rested his forehead against yours, inhaling deeply.

“It was my first kiss since 1943,” he revealed.

“Me too,” you tried to lighten the mood.

Bucky laughed softly before his lips found yours again, this time more demanding. You parted your lips for him and let him take control of the kiss. He backed you up against the wall in the hall and slid his fingers through your hair, cradling the back of your head.

You ran your hands up and down his sides as his kisses turned sloppy. A happy tear ran down your cheek, making him pull away. He wiped it off with his thumb, a concerned frown furrowing his brows.

“It’s okay, I’m just happy,” you said, not recognising your own voice. He kissed the corner of your eye.

“I’m sorry,” he laughed again, “I really took my sweet time.”  

“It’s better than rushing into something you’re not ready for.”

“I’m ready.” A warmth spread through his chest and he knew he really meant those words.

“Good. Do you want to stay a bit longer?”

He cupped your face, his thumbs stroking your cheekbones. He wanted more, he wanted to sleep next to you, but a nagging voice in the back of his head reminded him that this was too good to be true.

“I can’t- It’s…” His jaw clenched, frustrated that he couldn’t put his feelings into words.

“Baby steps,” you soothed, rubbing his sides.

He sighed, grateful for the distraction, and nodded. “Baby steps.”

*

“You look like you haven’t slept in a week.”

Natasha came into the kitchen, smiling as she filled her favourite mug with coffee. She rested her back against the counter and blew over the surface of her hot coffee before she took a careful sip.

“Bucky had a nightmare last night,” you mumbled.

Natasha pulled out a chair and sat across from you. You straightened your shoulders and rubbed your eyes with the tips of your fingers.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she offered with a small smile.

“It’s just…” you sighed. “I feel like he’s pushing me away. Last night, I fell asleep in his room and I woke up in my bed. Later, he woke up screaming, but his bedroom door is always closed. Sometimes he even drags his desk to block the door.”

“He’s afraid,” Natasha said, her hands wrapped around her warm mug. “He’s afraid that if he lets his guard down, they’ll come for him. I know the feeling. You’ve been dating for a few months now, just be honest with him.”

That night, Bucky kissed you goodnight and locked himself in his room. You tossed and turned in your bed, unable to get comfortable. Your clock read 4AM when you heard Bucky dry heaving.

You knocked on his door and tried the knob, your heart pounding in your chest. You heard the toilet being flushed, then the rush of water as he turned on the taps and you waited patiently. Bucky opened the door slowly and pressed a sweaty kiss to your forehead.

“I’m fine, go back to bed.”

You brushed past him to enter his room and looked around; the bed was unmade, the sheets crumpled. Bucky closed the door, too exhausted to argue.

“I wasn’t sleeping,” you replied, turning to face him. “Let me help you.”

You took his flesh hand, but he quickly pulled it away.

“I killed Maria Stark with that hand,” he choked on the words, then struggled to continue. “Do you really want to hold it? Kiss it? Feel it on your skin?”

“It wasn’t you-”

“But it was my hand,” he interrupted.

“Yes, it was.” You took a step closer and reached for his hand. “And you’re going to have to deal with this your whole life, but you don’t have to do it alone. I’m here for you. Nat, Steve, Sam, Clint… we’re all here for you.”

He lowered his gaze to your intertwined hands and took a shaky breath.

“You’re all sweaty, let’s get you in the shower,” you said, leading him to the bathroom.

“You don’t hav-”

You shushed him gently and gave him an encouraging smile. He removed his shirt while you turned on the water, setting the temperature. Soon, steam filled the small bathroom and you left the room to give him some privacy.

“Can you join me?” he asked, his voice was small and thin.

He only had his sweatpants on and you figured he wasn’t wearing anything underneath. You nodded and began removing your clothes as Bucky kicked off his sweatpants. You felt your face heat up. You had never seen him nude before and while he did look stunning, he also looked extremely vulnerable.

Taking his hand, you joined him in the shower and let him hang onto you. He was leaning over you, one hand resting on your hip, the other supporting his weight against the wall.

You soothed him as best you could, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, running your hands up and down his sides. He started crying, silently at first, then his entire body shook as he sobbed into the crook of your neck.  

A few minutes later, you stepped out of the shower and dried yourself off. You handed him a clean towel and tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper.

Bucky walked out of his bathroom only wearing a pair of black boxer briefs, his head was tilted as he rubbed the towel into his hair. He threw it on the bed and took your hand as you both walked down the hall to your room.

“Feeling better?” you asked, closing the door behind you.

“Yeah, thank you,” he gave you a tired smile.

You wrapped your arms around him and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips. He climbed into bed with you and you both lay on your sides, facing each other.

“It’s okay, you can close your eyes.”

“On one condition,” he said, holding out his little finger. You wrapped your little finger around his. “You let me hold you. I need to know I can protect you. I need to feel you against me.”

“I’m never going to say no to that.”

You scooted closer to him, your head on his shoulder and your leg overlapping both of his. Bucky wrapped his metal arm around your waist, keeping you close to his side. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

*

Bucky groaned as he searched his bag for his glove and came up empty. It had been designed by Bruce and Tony to resemble flesh. Crossing the bedroom, he yanked the top drawer out and spilled the contents onto the floor

“I can’t leave if I don’t have my glove,” Bucky complained, scratching his head. “I could have sworn I left it on the bed.”

He turned around and scanned the room. His shoulders dropped when he saw you sitting cross-legged on the bed, his precious glove in your lap. He sat next to you and threw it aside.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

When you didn’t move, he hooked his finger under your chin and raised your head until your eyes met his. His heart broke when he saw the tears on your cheeks.

“It’s a stakeout,” he repeated for the nth time, “I’ll be back in two days.”

“I know,” you said, throwing your head back dramatically. “I know you can take care of yourself, but I’m worried. And why do you need your glove if it’s a stakeout?”

“It’s just a precaution.” He curled his arm around your shoulders and pulled you against his side. “I know how you feel. It hurts when you leave, but it’s your job and I’ve accepted that. Now I need your support. I can’t do this without my best girl.”

“I’ll always support you, but… I’m scared you won’t come back,” you whispered.

Bucky took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. It took him a while to accept that each mission could potentially be his last –or your last, but he wanted to prove himself. He kissed the top of your head and squeezed your shoulder.

“No matter what happens, we’ll always be together. You’re always on my mind. Not even death can change that.”

Your smile grew into a quiet laugh. “I love you too.”

Lowering his head, he chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I was trying to say, but these three words seemed too simple for what I’m feeling.”

He leaned loser until his lips brushed your ear and whispered the three simple words into your ear. A comfortable warmth spread through you. He cradled your jaw in his hands and kissed you slowly.

“I have to go,” he said, resting his forehead against yours. “But when I come back, I’m gonna make love to you in every position I can think of.”

“Cool!” you joked.

Bucky took his glove and swung his overnight bag over his shoulder. You accompanied him to the door and gave him a long, passionate kiss. He wanted to say nothing wrong would ever happen, but he refused to make any promises he couldn’t keep.

*

You strode down the hall to Bucky’s room, squealing internally as you finally reached the door. Your three-month assignment ended a lot sooner than expected and when Tony told everyone they could go home, you decided to surprise your boyfriend. You slowly opened the door, giggling to yourself.

“I’m ho-” You barged into the room, arms extended, but you cut yourself off, brows furrowed. Nothing could have prepared you for the sight in front of you.

The wall between Bucky’s room and your own was down… well almost down. Thor swung his hammer and raised his ridiculously strong arms in a victory gesture as the wall crumbled down. No one noticed your presence, they were too focused on their tasks.

“Who’s a hoe?” Clint asked from his spot on the ladder. His eyes widened when he saw you standing near the front door. “Hey! Y/n’s here!” he said, a little too loudly for it to be a casual greeting.

Bucky whirled around to face the front door, a look a sheer panic on his face. He crossed the room in two long strides and gently grabbed your shoulders. You blinked fast, unable to move.

“Hey, love!” he said with an awkward chuckle and then kissed your cheek. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”

“Yeah… I can see that,” you said slowly as your senses came back into focus. “Why is there a giant hole between our bedrooms?”

Bucky led you further away from Clint, Thor and the enormous gaping hole that was once the wall connecting your rooms. You noticed that his bed, drawer and desk were covered with tarpaulins.

“Remember when I said we should move in together and you said there was still a wall between us?” He didn’t give you time to answer before he continued. “At first I thought you meant a metaphorical wall, but then I understood… it was an actual fuckin’ wall.”

“Yeah, but what? Why?” Your eyebrows knitted together and you shook your head, unable to put together a coherent sentence.

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I didn’t want you to feel like we were living in a construction zone.”

“Bucky,” you sighed.

“Hear me out, okay?” he urged, taking your hands. “We always sleep in your room so it will be our bedroom. We’ll turn my bedroom into a living room and your bathroom will be a kitchenette. It won’t be huge, but there’s still an actual kitchen down the hall.”

Bucky let you process the new information he’d dumped on you. He looked at you with a hopeful smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and you gave up. You couldn’t say no to him, especially when he smiled like that.

“Fine,” you huffed out, “but you should have told me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, circling his arms around your waist, “sorry, ma’am.”

You cocked a brow at him as he leaned in and nudged your nose with his. “You’re lucky you’re hot.”

Before Bucky could kiss you, Thor cleared his throat. He had a stupid grin on his lips as he watched you and Bucky.

“You’re one of the blessed few whose house was built by Mjolnir.”

“Mew-mew knocked out a wall,” Clint chimed in. “I’m the one doing all the work here.”

While you enjoyed Thor’s witty comeback and sassy facial expression, you and Bucky decided to slip out of the room without them noticing. As soon as Bucky had closed the door, he cupped your face and kissed you.

You were finally home.

You locked your arms around his neck and arched into him, wanting to feel every inch of him against you. When Bucky pulled back, he rested his forehead against yours. You could still hear Clint and Thor’s muffled voices.

“They’re basically children,” you said.

“Yeah, and it’s like that all day long.” Bucky dragged out the last three words. You giggled. “I’m glad you’re home safe, I missed you.”

He trailed open-mouthed kisses down the column of your throat while he pulled the strap of your tank top down. When he reached the crescent moon scar on your shoulder, he gave it a gentle kiss. It was something he did every time you came back from a mission.

“The first time I saw you, you called me ‘Sir Bucky’,” he recalled, smiling against your skin.

You let out an embarrassed groan. “It was Clint’s fault.”

Bucky smiled up at you and adjusted your tank top strap before he straightened up.

“He’s a nice guy, we talk a lot. Ironically, I’m glad someone understands what it’s like to have no control over your actions, ya know?”

“I know,” you said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “And I’m sure it helps him as much as it helps you.”

Bucky and Clint built up a close friendship based on their shared life experience. He loved you very much, but there were things he couldn’t tell you; not because you would treat him differently, but because only someone who had been through the same kind of torture could understand the depth of his trauma.

“Hey,  _Loverboy!_ ” Clint shouted through the closed door. “You’re more than welcome to join us.”

Bucky kissed your cheek before he took a step toward the door. He reached for the doorknob, paused and glanced over his shoulder. He looked at you with nothing but adoration shining in his blue eyes and you practically melted.

“I only want what’s best for you,” he said. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Smiling sweetly at you, he disappeared inside the room and closed the door. You stayed there for a moment, smiling to yourself. You had found your other half, your best friend, your lover and your protector.

_"True love begins when nothing is looked for in return."  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry_

 


	21. One in a Million

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you write a short where Seb abd Bucky are in the same universe and they meet. But the reader is dating one of them and hangs out with the other one then her bf gets jealous at the end with fluff please?? Requested by Anonymous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,816 words warnings: Language, Mention of Alzheimer, Tiny Angst, Fluff  
> I changed the request a bit bc I don't write RPF but I hope it's still good :) And Happy Birthday Sebby!

 

“Babe?” you called out to Bucky once you noticed him. You were supposed to meet at your favourite coffee shop for lunch and your boyfriend was standing at the hand-off counter, patiently waiting for his cup of coffee.

When he didn’t turn around, you walked over to him and slid your arms around his waist. You didn’t notice how the man tensed and straightened himself up. You nuzzled his neck and placed a soft kiss on his jawline.

“Um, you cut your hair?” The man gave you a little shove and you took a step back to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, I think you’re mistaking me for someone else.”

“You’re hilarious,” you replied, rolling your eyes. “Let’s go, I’m starving.”

You reached forward and took his left hand, but instead of the hard metal and soft leather glove, your fingers closed around a flesh hand. The man, who looked exactly like your Bucky, frowned when your eyes widened.

Looking down at your hand, you saw that his left hand wasn’t made of metal. You pulled your hand away as if you had been burned. What the hell was going on? The barista came over with a large iced coffee. She turned the cup around so she could read the name scribbled across the plastic cup.

“Sebastian?”

With a smile, Bucky’s look-alike took the cup she handed him and walked away. It took you less than a second to decide what to do next. You shouted his name and met him in the middle of the coffee shop.

“I am so sorry,” you apologized. “You probably think I’m insane, but you look  _exactly_  like my boyfriend.”

You fished your phone out of pocket and held up one finger, motioning him to wait a second. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as you scrolled through your photo album.

When you found the picture you wanted, you handed your phone to Sebastian. “That’s Bucky, we’ve been together for two years.”

“Bucky? I’ve heard that name before.”

You were a bit surprised. The media only referred to Bucky as James Barnes and as far as you knew Bucky was a fairly unusual nickname. Sebastian’s brows scrunched together for a moment, trying to figure out what was happening. You took the time to really look at him. The only difference between them was that Bucky’s hair was longer and his beard fuller.

“I think I know what’s going on,” he finally said, smiling at you, as you plucked your phone from his hand. “Do you mind if we sit and talk?”

You nodded and followed him to the table by the window.

As Bucky opened the door to the coffee shop, a bell jangled, and he scanned the crowd trying to find your familiar light brown jacket. He re-read the text you had sent him earlier ‘ _Hurry up, there’s someone I want you to meet_.’

When he finally found you, his jaw clenched involuntarily. You were smiling at a man with broad shoulders and short brown hair. He would never admit it out loud, but seeing you with another man always made him livid.

“Buck!” you nearly shouted when your boyfriend approached your table. You got to your feet and took his hand as his eyes met those of his look-alike. “This is Sebastian… Proctor Barnes.”

Bucky’s head snapped toward you, the look in his eyes spoke a thousand words. ‘ _What the hell?_ ’ You gave him a reassuringly smile and tugged on his hand. You both sat across from Sebastian who reached out to shake Bucky’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you. Weird… but nice,” Sebastian said with an awkward laugh. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Bucky fidgeted in his seat and you squeezed his metal hand a little tighter. You were relieved to be able to touch the soft leather glove and feel the hardness of metal under your fingertips. Everything felt ‘normal’ again. At least now you were sure that  _your_  Bucky was sitting next to you.

“My great-uncle is one of the Howling Commandos,” Sebastian continued, a big smile on his face. “I used to brag about that constantly when I was a kid.”

You felt Bucky relax next to you and your heart swelled with love. He hung his head bashfully and bit his lip, unsuccessfully fighting back a smile. His cheeks were a little pink, which usually only happened when you were together.

“How’s Becca?” Bucky asked after a moment. “I haven’t seen her since… well it’s been a while.”

“She’s good,” Sebastian nodded, a small smile crossed his lips.

While you were waiting for Bucky, Sebastian told you that his grandmother was Rebecca Proctor Barnes, Bucky’s little sister. After her husband passed away, they had no choice but to place her in a nursing home. Rebecca had developed a form of dementia. She remembered her past and every little details as if she was still living in the 40s, but she couldn’t remember her children or grandchildren.

Every time Sebastian came to visit her, she would cry and scream that her brother was back. But in her brief moments of clarity, she’d realized Bucky wasn’t back and she’d cry even harder. No one told her Bucky had survived the fall, it would only make things more confusing.

After a few months, Sebastian had stopped visiting her - he had never meant to cause her grief. He knew he looked a lot like his grandmother’s big brother, he had seen pictures of him. He would remembered her grandmother fondly, but he preferred to focus on the good times they’d shared.

“Nana always said I look a lot like you,” Sebastian said, fiddling with his empty cup. “So when your girlfriend called me Bucky, I… kind of put two and two together.”

“Yeah,” Bucky replied softly.

You saw his brows furrowed momentarily and you knew what he was thinking; how did you two meet exactly? Sebastian cleared his throat, catching your attention.

“I’m gonna go grab another coffee. You guys want anything? My treat.”

You both shook your heads ‘no’, too stunned to eat or drink anything. As Sebastian walked to the end of the line, Bucky rubbed the spot between his eyes, he could feel a headache coming on.

“It’s crazy.”

“They say that there are seven people in the world who look exactly like us.”

“He’s my sister’s grandson, my flesh and blood, and we’re the same age,” Bucky said, his voice quivering. “Please tell me you didn’t kiss him thinking it was me.” You scrunched up your face and he groaned out loud. “Jesus Christ!”

“I kissed his neck. Sorry.” You raised your hands in surrender before you wrapped your arms around Bucky neck. “I thought you had cut your hair and shaved.”

“Fair enough,” he sighed, bringing you closer. “But don’t kiss another one of my doppelgängers.”

“I swear.”

Bucky pulled you close to him and kissed you passionately. The kiss made you forget where you were and you only came to your senses when Sebastian came back to your table. He gave you a lopsided smile and your felt your face heat up. It was a bit strange to see that look on his face. It reminded you so much of Bucky.

Bucky’s arm curled possessively around your waist as Sebastian sat down. You tried to think of something else to say when your phone vibrated on the table.

“It’s Nat,” you said, “I won’t be long.”

You kissed Bucky’s cheek before you slipped off to the Ladies to answer the call. Bucky and Sebastian stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say. Of course, there was something Bucky needed to know, but he wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject.  

“Do you know who I am?” Bucky asked. “You know what they call me?”

Sebastian nodded. “The Winter Soldier.”

“You know what the Winter Soldier did?”

“I do.” He waited a second before he continued. “It wasn’t your fault. I’ve heard about the fall, HYDRA and the experiments. You can’t be held responsible for your actions. HYDRA’s the monster, not you.”

Hearing someone other than Steve, you or the other Avengers tell him that he wasn’t a monster made Bucky’s heart leap in his chest. He recognized his sister’s good heart behind the words of his grand-nephew. It made his eyes water.

“You must have felt so lonely.”

Sebastian placed his hand on top of Bucky’s flesh hand, his metal hand was hidden under the table. You walked back to the table and saw that Bucky’s shoulders were slumped and his head bent. It didn’t take a genius to understand what they were talking about. Bucky looked back at you as you sat next to him. His pale eyes were full of unshed tears, making them bluer than ever.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” You frowned.

“For being my best girl.”

Cupping his face, you placed a sweet kiss on his mouth. A tear fell from Bucky’s lashes and landed on your cheek. When you pulled back, you saw Sebastian smiling at the two of you. You smiled back before you spoke.

“I don’t want to interrupt your reunion, but Nat’s waiting for us. We have to go.”

You and Bucky said goodbye to Sebastian and while you gathered your stuff, an idea crossed your mind.

“Are you busy this Sunday? Maybe we could have breakfast together.” You turned to Bucky. “If you’re both okay with that.”

Bucky nodded. “I’d like to know more about you. You’re my grand-nephew after all.”

“You gotta stop calling me that, it’s weird,” Sebastian chuckled, making you and Bucky snicker.

“You’ll get used to it. He makes a lot of ‘ _I’m an old fart’_  jokes.”

Sebastian laughed while Bucky rolled his eyes. He gave you his phone and you created two new contacts: you and Bucky. He pocketed his phone and turned back to you.

“So, uh, the Pancake House, 9AM? Is that good?”

A large smile appeared on Bucky’s face. “No! You like pancakes too?”

“Fuck,” you muttered to yourself. You forgot that every time it was Bucky’s turn to choose a restaurant, he’d always choose the Pancake House. And apparently, it was a family thing.

“Definitely!” Sebastian grinned at your boyfriend’s enthusiasm. “With a little maple syrup, you know… some blueberries, some whipped cream. It’s great!”

Bucky turned into an excited puppy and shook your arm as if to say ‘ _look this guy is like me_.’ You face palmed yourself, grinning behind your hand.

“I like that guy,” Bucky said, slinging his arm over your shoulders as you stepped out of the coffee shop. “And don’t you think he’s good looking?”

You threw him one of your legendary dirty look, the corner of your mouth twitching into a smile. Bucky laughed, kissing your temple as you fell into step with him.


	22. Smooth Criminal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky’s a cop and got called to a crime scene to arrest a criminal but he realizes the criminal is the person he’s dating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,892 words Warnings: Police!Au, Language, Drunk Shenanigans, Major Floof

 

It had been a quiet night for Officer James Buchanan Barnes and his partner. So far, they had to deal with a fight between two drunk men, an exhibitionist and a few reckless drivers.

Bucky had started his shift at 10 p.m. the previous night and it was now just after 4 a.m. He kept repeating ‘ _only two more hours’_  like a mantra and tried to imagine you all wrapped up and sound asleep in your bed. He really wanted to be with you.

Peter Parker shifted slightly in his seat, his butt numb from sitting in the patrol car. He was a young man, fresh out of the academy, and dreamed of high-speed car chases. The reality, though, didn’t live up to his expectations.

“Numb butt?” Bucky glanced at his partner, a smug smile on his lips. “Bet they don’t teach you that at the academy, uh, Parker?”

“No,” Peter groaned, trying to find a more comfortable position. “They don’t tell you that all you do is wait in the car and drive around town.”

“That’s not  _all_  we do. Tonight’s just really quiet.”

There was something very therapeutic about driving around the deserted city. It was like being transported onto the set of a disaster movie where the hero roams the street alone. Bucky drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel, waiting for the light to turn green.

“Y’don’t have to wear your hat in the car, y’know,” Bucky said after he threw another glance at his partner.

Peter removed the hat and ran a hand through his hair. He chuckled to himself somewhat embarrassed, his cheeks turned a little pink. They both froze when the car radio crackled to life. Bucky didn’t notice that the light had turned green, he was too focused on the dispatcher’s calm voice.

“Units in the 107, 10-50, 166 Montague Street.”

Bucky scoffed to himself as Peter reached for his radio. A noise complaint? This was a very strange night. He turned left toward Montague Street while Peter took the radio out of its holder and spoke.

“1-0-7 Charlie, we’re on our way.”

Since a noise complaint wasn’t an urgent case, they decided not to use the siren. A minute later, the dispatcher called them again.

“1-0-7 Charlie, we have a possible burglary in progress at 166 Montague Street. Caller mentioned three women, descriptions unknown. One may be Russian.”

“Is that the same person who called about a noise complaint?” Peter asked, sharing a look with Bucky.

“Affirmative.”

“1-0-7 Charlie, en route,” Peter said, then turned to Bucky. “Montague Street, isn’t it like two blocks away from your apartment?”

Bucky nodded, his eyes focused on the road. He was always anxious when he had to work in his neighbourhood. He had seen a lot of disturbing things in his career, he knew only too well how cruel people could be. Now the thought of you, innocently asleep in bed, wasn’t as comforting as it used to be. He knew the fear was irrational, but he couldn’t help it.

He pulled up in front of the six-story building and called in their location. As he climbed out of the patrol car, he checked his phone to make sure he hadn’t missed a call or a message from you. Nothing.

As they stepped into the lobby, they could hear women laughing and singing. It was fairly obvious that these women were intoxicated. The voices led them to the third floor. They saw two women sitting on the floor, singing at the top of their voices.

Bucky’s eyes widened as he recognized one of the two women. “Y/n?!”

At the mention of your name, you looked up, eyes searching for the man who called your name. When you saw Bucky, a big smile spread across your face and you excitedly shook Helen Cho’s shoulder.

“I sleep with that cop!”

Helen gave you an impressed nod, then continued singing. A laugh bubbled up Peter’s throat before he looked over his shoulder at Bucky.

“It’s nice to finally meet your girlfriend, man.”

Bucky mumbled a curse under his breath. “Can you take care of the angry neighbour?”

Peter walked over to the neighbour who had open her door and glared at you and Helen. He tried to appease her while she gestured towards you. With a dramatic sigh, Bucky squatted down in front of you, his black trousers pulling tautly over his strong thighs.

“Hey, beautiful.” His brows furrowed when you giggled.

Bucky had seen you drunk before and he knew you well enough to know that on a drunkenness scale of one to ten, you had reached a nine. He also knew that the happy drunk phase wouldn’t last long.

“Where’s your friend?” he asked softly, remembering that the dispatcher mentioned three women.

“Natasha’s puking,” Helen replied with a grin. “That’s such a funny word… puking, piiouuking, pi-ou-king,” she articulated, pursing her lips to pronounce the word.

Bucky watched her for a minute, completely stunned. He had met Helen Cho once before at your company’s Christmas party, she was one of your colleagues and a brilliant geneticist. He remembered her as a shy girl, but right now she was repeating the word ‘puking’ like a broken record.

“Okay, ladies, let’s get you back home,” he said once he broke out of his trance.

Bucky tried to help you up, but then the neighbour shouted at his partner and he decided to try to defuse the situation before it got worse. He told you and Helen to stay quiet to which you both put a finger to your lips and made loud shushing sounds.

“Ma’am,” Bucky greeted the neighbour politely. “The incident is under control, you can go back inside. Sorry for the disturbance.”

“Oh, no! It’s four in the  _fucking_  morning and I have to get up in two hours. I’m pressing charges.”

“You can do that,” Bucky nodded, knowing exactly what she wanted to hear. The woman uncrossed her arms, her posture becoming a little more relaxed. “I can issue a ticket, but as the plaintiff in this case, your name will be in the report and you will have to testify in court, which means that you will most likely have to take a day off. Sounds like a lot of trouble for a sleepless night.”

The woman grumbled, considering her choices. “Fine, but if I see them again-”

“You won’t, we’ll make sure of that,” Bucky promised.

The woman closed the door in their faces. Bucky looked at Peter and they sighed in unison. Ten minutes later, you finally walked through the exit door, holding Bucky tightly. You wore your work clothes which consisted of a white blouse and a pair of dark blue slacks. When a shiver ran through you, Bucky held you tighter, rubbing your arm to keep you warm.

The two officers found Natasha sitting on the curb, her head between her legs. Bucky asked Peter to drop Natasha and Helen at their apartments.

“You owe me, Barnes,” Peter sighed at the sight of the drunk girls sitting in the patrol car.

“I know, man,” Bucky cringed, holding you as you waved enthusiastically at your friends. “Breakfast is on me. Pick me up at my apartment when you’re done.”

Bucky waited until the patrol car was gone to kiss your cheek and, judging from the way you slumped against him, he knew that the alcohol was wearing off. He held you up and looked at you, a small smile spread across his face. You looked like a hot mess; mascara smudged around your eyes, breath smelling like vodka and hair sticking out in all directions. When he tried to tame your hair, you leaned into his touch and practically purred.

“Let’s go home, doll,” he chuckled.

“I’m too tired to walk,” you whined, stomping your foot.

Rolling his eyes, Bucky turned around and hunched down. “Hop on my back.”

“Seriously?” You beamed when he nodded. “Isn’t it against the law or something?”

“Yes, it’s actually a violation of article 26 of the  _‘How to be a Proper Cop in New York’_ Convention,” he said, in a somewhat sarcastic tone that you failed to notice. “But I won’t tell if ya don’t.”

“Your secret’s safe with me, you dirty cop.”

You held onto his shoulders and let him pick you up under your thighs, hoisting you onto his back. Instinctively, you sought his warmth and rested your chin on his shoulder. You couldn’t remember the last time anyone had given you a piggyback ride, but it felt nice.

Trying to distract yourself, you took his hat and saw something in the little plastic pocket inside the hat. There was a copy of the Policeman’s Prayer, but also something that made your heart leap in your chest.

“You have a picture of me in your hat?” you awed out loud.

“Of course, doll,” he replied, his thumbs rubbing your thighs. “You’re the most precious thing in my life.”

Bucky chuckled when you clutched him tighter and peppered his neck with kisses. After ten minutes of walking through the – _almost_ \- deserted streets with you on his back, he could tell that you had fallen asleep. He caught sight of his reflection in the glass façade of a building and laughed. In all fairness, it looked pretty ridiculous; a hatless cop carrying a sleepy civilian on his back.

Once he reached your apartment building, he had to find your keys in your purse, all the while making sure you wouldn’t slid off his back. It was a little tricky and he suddenly felt like a turtle carrying its house on its back.

It took him another ten minutes to open the front door, remove your shoes and slacks, and put you under the covers. Bucky placed a glass of water and some aspirin on your bedside table before he sat on the mattress and dropped a kiss to your forehead.

“Don’t go,” you said when he pulled back.

“My shift isn’t over yet, sweetheart,” he protested. “Why were you out so late? I thoughtcha were at home, sleepin’ like an angel, and not screamin’ songs at people we never met.”

You whined softly, your eyelids drooped, fighting sleep. “I knew you were not home so me and the girls hit a bar or two-”

“Or seven,” Bucky chuckled when you gave him a dirty look.

“It’s better than being at home alone. I worry so much when you work all night. I can’t help but think that something terrible is gonna happen.”

His heart sank.

Being a cop wasn’t always easy, but he had always been honest with you. Although sometimes he preferred to spare you the gruesome details. You, on the other hand, always tried to put on a brave face and support him and his job, when, inside you were just terrified.

“Everythin’s gonna be alright,” he soothed gently, cupping your face in his large hands. “You know why?”

“Why?” you sniffed.

“Because I love you.”

You let out a huff of laughter, wiping the back of your hand under your nose. Bucky’s smile lit up the whole room and you felt so grateful to have him in your life.

“Fidelis ad mortem?” you asked with a cheeky smile, reciting the NYPD motto.

“Faithful unto death, my doll.” He nodded and kissed you gently.


	23. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the song Good Times by All Time Low

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,602 words | Warnings: Language, Angst, Underage Drinking

 

Sitting under the lights of the basketball court, you nursed a bottle of beer that you had been sharing with three other people. Sam sat on the orange ball, sweat dripping down his forehead. Steve’s cheeks were red from running, his blond hair sticking to his forehead. And while Bucky was wearing his basketball shorts, he had spent the entire evening with you.

“I gave Rogers a proper thrashing,” Sam announced proudly.

Steve rolled his eyes. “You wish.”

Normally you would have been laughing and cheering, but not tonight. It was your last night with your three best friends and you were feeling pretty nostalgic.

“You okay?” Sam asked, brows furrowed.

There was something about your eyes, something sad and vulnerable. You tried to hide it, but he knew you too well. From the moment you met him, he had stood out among others. He had a kind smile, it lit up his whole face, and the small gap between his front teeth made it so special.

“I’m fine,” you said, taking a sip of the warm beer. “I’m just a little sad. I won’t see your stupid faces every day. It’s weird, y’know?”

The boys nodded slowly, agreeing with you. In just a few days, you’d all be leaving for university. Steve tried to distract himself from thinking about it, his fingers toying nervously with the hem of his too-large shorts. At first glance, he looked like an angel with his baby blue eyes and dirty blond hair. He wasn’t especially strong or gifted, but he was brave, some might even say reckless.

“It’s not like we’re going to disappear,” Sam replied, cracking a smile.

Beautiful silver stars started to appear in the darkening sky. It was the end of an era and you all stayed quiet, mourning it.  Bucky took the bottle of beer and took a generous sip before he handed it to Steve.

“We met right here,” he finally spoke, looking around the basketball court.

“Steve was challenging people twice his size,” Sam said casually, earning a dirty look from the blond.

“If I remember well, you were popping wheelies to impress girls.”

“It totally worked, by the way.”

“Uh-huh,” Steve replied with a crooked smile.

“And Y/n was reading,” Bucky said, meeting your eyes. “I think it was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret. Your father was coaching our middle school’s basketball team and you were wearing a light blue sundress even though it was almost October. You gave Steve a juice box after an eighth-grader pushed him to the ground. And then you shared your snacks with us because we defended him.”

There was a beat of silence after Bucky’s monologue; you held his gaze, the two other boys holding their breath. You had developed a massive crush on him over the summer before entering high school.

Sometimes, you caught him looking at you in a certain way and you allowed yourself to think that he might have feelings for you. But then he would show up with another cute girl and present her to the group and she would immediately cling to you because you were the only girl in the group.

“Okay,” Sam drawled out the word. “Let’s talk about something else before Bucky remembers what kind of shoes you were wearing.”

You let out a soft chuckle, but your heart was beating faster and faster, your mind spinning. Bucky’s nostrils flared as his face flushed.

“What time are you leaving tomorrow?” Steve asked Sam.

“After lunch, I think,” Sam replied, then turned to you. “You’re next, right?”

“I already packed the car,” you said, nodding your head. “My parents want to come with me, but there’s no room left in the car, so I’m gonna take the train and wait for them.”

“I could give you a ride,” Bucky offered. “It’s on my way.”

“That’d be great. Thanks.” You finished the beer and kept the bottle in your hands. “And you, Steve? Are you really going to stay here all summer?”

A sigh left his lips and he ran a hand down his face. “Yeah, my mom’s not feeling well.”

When Steve was 5 years old, his father left. He just wasn’t cut out to be a father. Sarah Rogers had worked two jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. She was his hero and he couldn’t even consider leaving his mother to die alone.

None of you knew how sick Sarah was, Steve kept things to himself, but his mother would be gone before Christmas.

“You’re going to get bored without us,” Bucky grinned.

Steve rolled his eyes, a small smile on his lips. “Nah, I’ll be fine. I think I’ll hit the gym.”

When Bucky and Sam burst out laughing, Steve shoved at Sam’s shoulder, throwing him off balance. The orange ball rolled under the bench as Sam’s bottom hit the ground. They were still laughing heartily.

“Jerks,” Steve muttered.

“Punk,” they both said in unison.

Slowly, you got to your feet and dusted your hands on yours jeans. All eyes were suddenly on you. You made grabby hands at Sam who pushed himself off the ground. He caught you in a tight hug and you felt tears pricking your eyes.

“I’ll walk you home,” he whispered.

And the next day, he was gone.

You watched him drive away until he was completely out of sight. Bucky sighed next to you while Steve had his arms crossed, a frown between his brows. You wondered when you’d see Sam again. Christmas break, perhaps? You didn’t know it yet, but he would be too busy to come back in December.

You didn’t sleep at all that night. You stood at your bedroom window and tried to memorize every house, every tree, and every street sign. It was your street, your home. You remembered the time you had ridden your bike down on the way to see Steve or when you played hide-and-seek in Sam’s backyard.

Bucky’s house was hidden behind a sycamore tree, but you could see his car in the driveway. There were boxes in the backseat and probably more in the trunk.

Morning came and your eyes were still glued to the window. Everything looked the same and yet nothing would be the same anymore. Your room felt strangely empty without Steve’s paintings –given every year on your birthday- and the rest of your things.

Your parents promised to leave shortly after you and Bucky so you wouldn’t have to wait forever. They made sure Bucky was well enough to drive before you both climbed into the car. Saying goodbye to Steve was painful; tears were shed, hugs were given, and promises were made.

Empty promises.

“It doesn’t have to be like this,” Bucky said after a long silent moment. It had been a quiet ride so far, which was unusual, but neither of you were in the mood to talk. “I’ll call you. And we’ll see each other in December. It’s not the end, Y/n.”

Again. Empty promises.

“I know,” you said, giving him a sad smile.

Three hours later, you arrived at your university and Bucky parked near the clock tower. Some people were unpacking their cars, others were lying on the grass, taking in the sun. You felt so small in that huge place. It was intimidating.

“Ready?”

Bucky’s voice startled you out of your thoughts. As he rounded the front of the car, you opened your door and stepped onto the pavement. He stood beside you, his arm around your waist.

“I can wait with you.”

You hugged him back. “No, don’t worry. My parents will be here soon and you’re already late. Thank you for the ride.”

“Don’t thank me,” he said, locking his arms around you as he instinctively sought to keep you close. “It was selfish, I just wanted to spend more time with you.”

You nuzzled your face into his chest and took a deep breath, trying to commit his scent to memory. You stayed in that position for what felt like a very long time before you pulled back. Bucky’s eyes were so wet and blue, you had to look away.

“Take care of yourself.”

And then he was gone.

When he turned at the intersection, you felt your heart break into tiny pieces. His absence made everything around you feel so dull.

But what you didn’t know was that Bucky had to pull over because tears built up in his eyes and made his vision blurry. He leant his forehead against the steering wheel and cried. He wished he had talked to you, he wished he had kissed you.

“You look cute together.”

You turned around, facing a slim woman with black cloud-like hair. She wasn’t wearing much makeup, her skin was already perfect and smooth, but her full lips were painted deep red, drawing your eyes to them as she spoke.

“Is he your boyfriend?” She was carrying a huge cardboard box in her arms.

“Just a friend.”

She took a step towards you and balanced the box on her hip to free one of her hands. “I’m Nakia.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Y/n.”

“Mind giving me a hand? I have  _so_  many boxes,” she laughed. “I’ll help you with your stuff after if you need help.”

“Sure.”

You took the box from her hands while she took another one from her car. She wasn’t kidding, there were at least half a dozen boxes in her car. You followed your new friend into the building, smiling for the first time that day.


	24. Orange Zest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda and Reader cast a love spell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,357 words | College!Bucky, Witchcraft and fluff

 

The air smelled like burnt lavender and a heavy cloud of smoke began to fill the tiny dorm room. You sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor and flapped your hand in front of your face as the sting of smoke sent you into a coughing fit. 

Wanda’s hair had become a tussled mess. She rubbed her eyes, smearing mascara around them.

“Okay, my bad.” She raised her hands defensively. “I didn’t know these two ingredients could cause an explosion.”

“I thought you said you were a witch.”

You took an orange from the stack of ingredients she had laid on the floor and threw it at her. She caught it and glared at you.

“Hey, careful with that it attracts men.”

“Do you see any guys?” You gestured around your empty room. “I should have never agreed to do this.”

You felt ridiculous and desperate. Who in their right mind would cast a spell to bring men into their lives?

With newfound energy, Wanda sat back on her haunches and put the pot on the portable stove. She browsed through the Wiccan book of love spells and began her ritual again, only this time she stuck to the original version of the spell.

“Today is the best day to manifest love. It’s Venus day, the goddess of love and sex and stuff. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

“Uh-huh.” You cocked a brow at her. “Try not to blow up the whole dorm.”

“I said I was sorry!” she said, then mumbled something unintelligible.

Wanda handed you a black notebook and a pencil. You opened it to a new page and waited for her instructions.

“Okay, this spell is called ‘how to attract a lover.’” She looked up at you, her face twisted into an excited grimace. “You go first.”

“Why me?” you gasped. “What if your potion thingy blows up in my face again?”

“It won’t work if you don’t believe in my powers!”

Blowing out a frustrated breath, you put the pencil against the paper, even though you still had no idea what to write. “Fine. What do I have to do?”

Wanda held up her index finger while she read the spell. After a brief moment, she explained that you had to write a list of the personality, physical features, qualities and hobbies you wanted your future boyfriend to have. It was a very personal list so you kept the notebook close to your chest while you wrote the list down.

“Done! Now what?”

“Throw it in the pot.”

You tore off the piece of paper, crushed it and threw it in the pot. Then, you added the ingredients into the pot: cinnamon known for igniting passion, a lemon flower, a sprig of lavender and the juice of an orange.

“Now, we have to cook this for ten minutes.”

A thick white cloud began to pour down in front of you. The combination of all the ingredients smelled like overripe lemons boiling in vinegar. Wanda yanked her shirt over her nose and mouth while you forced your burning eyes open just enough to see the door.

“It’s not over, come back!” Wanda yelled as you left the room.

You walked to the shared kitchenette and poured yourself a big glass of water. There was no one around, but you could hear some people in the common room, watching TV. Once your nausea passed, you laughed at your own stupidity. You still couldn’t believe that you had cast a love spell.

The sound of footsteps made you raise your head. James ‘Bucky’ Barnes stood at the entrance to the kitchen. You had never really spoke to Bucky, but he visited Sam often. Sam Wilson lived in your dorm and he was a star on campus, everyone loved him.

Sometimes, you overheard conversations between Sam and Bucky and tried not to listen, but it was too tempting. You had a massive crush on a man who had never met. Luckily, you shared a class with Bucky. He usually sat two rows behind you and you never spoke to him, but it was comforting to know that he was there.

Bucky wasn’t just the most handsome man who had ever seen, he was also kind, caring and the most genuinely selfless man you’d ever met –or not officially met.

He was the living embodiment of Mr Perfect and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t based your ideal future boyfriend on him.

“Hey,” he greeted, rounding the table to stand beside you.

“Hey,” you repeated.

You stood there, awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say. Bucky stayed silent, his eyes roaming the room as he tried to come up with something to say.

“You’re in Mrs Carter’s class, right?”

You nodded.

“She terrifies me.” He let out a little laugh and scratched his head.

You laughed with him. Mrs Carter could be a little intimidating, especially when she snapped her fingers in front of his nose, forcing his gaze back to hers. God knows why he was so distracted.

Another silent moment passed. From the corner of your eye, you saw him sniff the air and you had to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from smiling. The sweet scent of oranges filled the kitchenette.

 _‘It attracts men.’_  You remembered Wanda saying.

“So,” Bucky drawled out, “have you finished your assignment for Mrs Carter’s class?”

“To be honest, I haven’t even started it yet.”

He laughed again and ran a hand through his hair. Why was he so nervous?

“Well, I looked at it and I have no idea what to do. Do you think we could, uh, work on it t-together?”

“Together?” you repeated, staring at him with wide doe eyes.

“Yes,” he chuckled, ducking his head. “And then, we could go eat dinner somewhere.”

“Eat dinner?” You stared at him, not caring that you sounded like a parrot as you repeated his words. You were too stunned to form complete sentences.

“I mean, if you’re okay with that.” He raised his head, a look of panic crossed his face. “We don’t have to, but I’d like to… to take you out to dinner.”

He waited a beat to gauge your reaction. You stared at him, not believing what he’d just said.

“Dinner’s fine. It’s great, I love dinner, it’s my favourite.”

You cringed at your own words, but Bucky’s soft laugh put a smile on your face. You looked up at him, your heartbeat picking up a little. His face bore a smile so wide that his whole face lit up.

“Great, I can’t wait,” he said, still smiling.

He took a step forward and handed you a scrap of paper with his number on it. That made you smile, it was kinda old-fashioned, but you liked it. Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to your cheek and turned around.

You had daydreamed about this moment so many times, but something wasn’t sitting well with you. Did the spell work? You didn’t want him if he was just under a spell. Before he could return to the common area, you stopped him.

“Why now? Why today?” you blurted out, startling him.

He frowned. “I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a long time. I wanted to do it after Mrs Carter’s class, but the words never came out. Sam asked if I wanted to watch a movie tonight and I was hoping I’d run into you. I heard you were in the kitchen and I thought… well it was now or never.”

“So, it has nothing to do with oranges?”

“Oranges?” His eyes widened, obviously taken aback by your question. “Um, no. What kind of oranges?”

“Never mind, it’s silly. See you tomorrow!”

He beamed at you and wished you good night before he joined Sam in the common room. You inwardly squealed at the thought of going out with Bucky Barnes. You were still smiling like an idiot when Wanda entered the kitchenette, holding her book of love spells.

“You need to read the spell out loud or it won’t work.”

“You’re too late, Wanda. Someone’s already under my spell.”


	25. Pain Covered with Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader meets Sergeant Barnes on her way to New York. He’s shipping out for England, but it’s only the beginning of their love story. (1940s Bucky/ not canon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2,252 words warnings: Fluff, Angst, War, Injuries, Loss of Limb, Bittersweet

 

You were vaguely aware of someone making their way down the aisle of the bus, too preoccupied with your book. They cleared their throat softly, catching your attention. Your heart kicked up as you met the stranger’s soft blue eyes. He was wearing a military uniform; a dark olive-green suit and a matching hat. He motioned toward the empty seat beside you.

“This seat taken?”

You shook your head.

While he placed his bag in the overhead storage space above the seats, you glanced around the bus. He could have easily found a seat somewhere else. The bus wasn’t anywhere close to crowded.

He sat down and took his hat off before he gave a long content sigh and leaned back. You could feel his eyes on you while you pretended to read your book. From the corner of your eye, you saw him play with his hat.

“Where you headed?” he asked. He tried to sound confident, but there was a nervous edge to his voice.

“New York,” you responded, smiling politely before you looked back at your book.

“Me too,” he said after a while. “You, um, going to school there?”

“No, I found a job.”

“Cool,” he said, nodding. “Where?”

With a small sigh, you closed your book and turned your head to look at him. “In a technology lab.”

He ducked his head and gave you a shy smile. “I’m annoying you, aren’t I?”

You tilted your head to the side, observing him. You found yourself fascinated by the way his dimples deepened when he smiled. There was something boyish and vulnerable about him. He looked nervous and excited at the same time.

“I’m not sure yet,” you replied, smirking.

His head still down, he gave you an impish look. You felt your skin grow hot and shyly looked away.

“Whatcha reading?” he asked, straightening himself up, his confidence boosted by your telltale timid look.

You held up your book. “The Grapes of Wrath.”

“Never heard of it.”

“It’s fairly recent,” you replied.

“Is it good?”

“It’s amazing so far.”

Looking into his eyes, you almost forgot where you were and what was going on around you. The only thing you knew for sure was that you didn’t want to get off that bus. Luckily, you still had plenty of time.

“Most people call me Sergeant Barnes, but you can call me Bucky.”

You shook his hand and made a funny face at him. “Bucky?”

He laughed. “Short for Buchanan, my middle name. My real name is James, but no one calls me that.”

“Nice to meet you.”

You lost track of time while you and Bucky talked about anything and everything. You laughed as he told you about the time he had pranked his best friend. He was a nice man; sweet, smart and full of life.

You curled your legs under you and listened as he shared more stories about his past. At some point he took your hand and ran his thumb over your knuckles. He never let go of your hand after that.

Six hours later, Bucky grabbed his bag and yours and followed you out of the bus. You thanked him as he handed you your bag.

“Do you really have to go?” you asked with a sigh.

“They’re expecting me at the base.” He placed his hat on his head, his lips quirking into a small smile.

You stepped away from the crowd. “Is it as dangerous as people say?”

“It’s war,” he replied, his eyes fixed on the sidewalk. He mustered up a small smile and raised his gaze to yours. “But I’ll be fine.”

“Good luck, Bucky.”

“You too.” He squeezed your hand one last time and let you go.

You turned and walked away, your book pressed against your chest. You trapped your bottom lip between your teeth, wondering if you’d ever see him again. You turned back around and walked over to him.

A smile slowly spread across his face when he saw you coming toward him. You pulled out a pen from your bag and wrote your address on the first page of your book.

“If you need someone to write,” you said, giving him your book. “Come home safe tell me how it ends.”

“I’ll do that,” he promised.

You started walking backward toward the subway entrance. “You’ll probably forget me as soon as you get to base,” you laughed softly.

“No, no,” he replied, looking at you with an intense look in his eyes as he clutched your book. “I’m stubborn like that.

* * *

Life went back to its usual pace. You lived with your childhood best friend, Darcy, who screamed like a lunatic when she saw you. She was living in a studio apartment below the home of her landlady, a renewed astronomer.

At first, you were really nervous about your new job, but your co-worker welcomed you with nice words and sweet smiles. You felt your nervousness slowly beginning to subside.

The days passed quickly, especially since you always had your nose in a book. But your nights were quiet and dark and you hated being alone with your thoughts.

Bucky never wrote to you. You tried to reason with yourself, he was a soldier and didn’t have time to write to a stranger.

Still, you missed your handsome sergeant.

His first letter arrived on a Tuesday. He apologized for not writing sooner and told you that he had started reading The Grapes of Wrath. He loved it so far and wanted a happy ending for the Joads.

You wrote him almost every day. When you received a letter from him, he always thanked you for the many letters, saying that they brightened his days.

His letter from November 20th was one of your favourite.

> _Dearest Y/n,_
> 
> _Today I received three letters dated as follows, Nov 3 rd, Nov 5 and Nov 6th from you. I want to thank you, it’s very nice of you to remember me even though you’re busy with your own life._
> 
> _I’ve had a quiet day, which is why I’m able to write to you today. Some of the guys are playing cards with the fellow. Yesterday I was invited to eat with them and, believe it or not but, the smell of a home cooked meal almost brought me to tears. Five months is too long… way too long._
> 
> _I wish I could see a movie once in a while myself. All we do is work and play cards, waiting for our next assignment. Also, I’m sorry to tell you that the Joads didn’t have their happy ending. Maybe we will. We can only hope._
> 
> _Your Bucky._

It was the first time he signed his letter  _‘your Bucky’_  instead of  _‘Bucky’_. Warmth spread through you as you stared at the two simple words at the bottom of the page. You pressed the letter to your chest and squealed.

After that, you addressed his letters as  _‘My Bucky’_  and he started calling you ‘ _sweetheart’_ , ‘ _darling’_  and even ‘ _doll_ ’. It always made you feel better, special and cared for.

You were developing feelings for a man you met months ago and only saw for six hours. Yet, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Ten months after your first encounter, you received his last letter. It was stained with dirt, but you understood most of it. Bucky was part of a special unit, he couldn’t say more because the censors were reading his letters, but the mission was dangerous.

Extremely dangerous.

The sentences that were not completely erased were  _‘My own darling sweetheart’_ ,  _‘I must say goodnight for now and a million kisses, Your Bucky.”_

And then he was gone.

Losing him was unbearable. You didn’t know what had happened, but you were determined to find out. You sent letters to wounded soldiers, nurses, officers in hopes of finding him.

Your nights were spent tossing and turning, your dreams darker than what you were used to. It was always the same one; cluster bombs flying everywhere, Sergeant Barnes lying in a ditch, his blue eyes glassy and blood slowly dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Finally, after spending three months worrying about Bucky, you received a letter from one of his ‘pals’ as he used to call them. Private Gabriel Jones was the team’s communications specialist.

He wrote to you, saying that Bucky had been severely injured during one of their missions and had been sent back home. For the past three months, your handsome sergeant had been treated at Mason General Hospital in Long Island.

MGH was a psychiatric hospital; their patients suffered from shell-shock and other combat-related psychological problems. Your heart clenched painfully in your chest at the thought of Bucky.

You wrote him a letter that day and sent it to MGH, hoping that Bucky was strong enough to read it. Jones didn’t go into too much detail in his letter and your imagination was running wild with all the possibilities.

The letter you received five days later broke your heart.

> _My Y/n,_
> 
> _It pains me to read how much you miss me. All I ever wanted was to be on the same continent as you, but things have changed. I took a hospital ship and got transferred to a debarkation hospital soon after. They say my rehabilitation is going well, but the pain is still present._
> 
> _I think about you every day. I still have that picture you sent me. It’s stained with my blood now, but I can still see your beautiful face. You are the reason I wake up in the morning, the reason I am still breathing, but believe me when I say that I am no longer the man you chatted with on that bus over a year ago._
> 
> _It’s not right to bring you into my life. You deserve more than a broken soldier._
> 
> _Goodbye, my darling girl. Remember me fondly._
> 
> _~~Y~~ Bucky._

Darcy found you lying on the sofa, crying your eyes out. She held you close until your sobs subsided and you told her everything. She remained silent for a moment.

“Your boyfriend’s real stubborn, sweet pea.”

You sniffed. “ **Stop saying that**. He’s not my boyfriend.”

“He sends you more letters than all my lovers combined and he calls you his sweetheart… sweetie, you’re his girl.”

You mulled over her words. You knew exactly how you felt, but after Bucky went missing you focused on other things –like finding him.

Now he had to know. It probably wouldn’t change his mind, but you had to tell him. You wrote your shortest letter; only three words on a blank piece of paper.

> _I love you._

You checked the mail every day for his reply, but you never received a letter. Your heart sank lower and lower with each passing day.

Until…

You were reading your book when you heard three loud knocks at the door. With an annoyed sigh, you closed the book and placed it on the sofa before you crossed the room and opened the front door.

Bucky, your Bucky, was standing in front of you, a nervous smile on his lips. He looked more tired and troubled, but the look he gave you brought you hope.

Instinctively, you gasped and covered your mouth with your hands. Tears welled up in your eyes. It was so good to see him again after all this time.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to reply,” he said, shifting his feet. “But I wanted to tell you this in person.” He took a deep breath. “I love you, my darlin’.”

You threw yourself at him and wrapped your arms around his neck as you buried your face in the crook of his neck. His arm circled around your waist to draw you close and you heard him take a deep breath, as if he was inhaling your scent.

When you pulled back, you saw that the left sleeve of his jacket hung limp at his side. He noticed your interest and squeezed your waist.

“This is why I’ve been sent back home. I-I fell off a cliff somewhere in Italy. I lost my arm.”

“Oh,” you replied, then raised your head. “I’m sorry this happened to you, but you’re back now. I will take care of you.”

“Why would you want to do this, Y/n? I’m a broken man. I have nightmares, I’m nervous all the time and sometimes my missing arm hurts. The doctors call this phantom pain. I don’t want you to do this because you feel sorry for me. So if you want to take that back and never see me again I underst-”

“Shh,” you said, cupping his face. “If you think I’m going to let you go then you’re crazy, Bucky. I didn’t fell in love with that talkative man who wouldn’t let me read my book. I fell in love with the man who was excited to read my letters, the man who fought for his country, the man you are now.”

He smiled through his tears. “It’s easier to write things down than say them, but if you still want me, I’ll be yours forever.”

“You're mine.” You wiped away his tears with your thumbs and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “You said so yourself.”

He let out a sound that was halfway between a sob and a laugh, and kissed you so hard your teeth collided.  Nothing could separate you now. Nothing would ever come between you again.


	26. Cowards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: You hear a tapping noise on your window in the middle of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,322 words fluff

 

“Hocus Pocus!” Wanda screamed excitedly as she held up the DVD with the three witches on the cover.

Natasha set the bowl of popcorn on the bed and glared at her. Wanda seemed unaffected as she looked at you with a hopeful smile.

“We’re not watching that,” Natasha said, snatching the DVD out of her hands. “It’s Halloween, we should watch something like Saw or Insidious.”

“Um, I vote for Hocus Pocus,” you told her. Wanda held up her hand for a high five while Natasha stared daggers at you. “Sorry, Nat, but when the movie’s over you two will go back to your dorms and I’ll be alone since Sharon decided to spend the night with Steve.”

“бздун,” Natasha muttered as she made herself comfortable on your bed, her back against the wall.

“What did you call me?” you frowned.

“A coward,” Wanda explained as she inserted the disc and raised the screen of your laptop.

You stuck your tongue out at Natasha before you turned off the lights and joined your friends. It was already dark outside and the moon wasn’t too bright so you didn’t need to close the shutters.

You sat between Natasha and Wanda; your backs against the wall, looking towards Sharon’s bed. When the movie began, you heard Wanda give a little gasp. Natasha leaned forward and glanced at Wanda.

“That’s not Hocus Pocus,” she said. “It’s The Purge: Anarchy!”

Wanda scooted closer to you, her legs curled under her body. You tried to cheer her up with a small smile.

“Pietro must have mixed up the CDs,” she said, more to herself than you and Natasha. “I swear I will kill him.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Wands. I saw it, it’s not that scary.”

She made a noncommittal sound before you all fell silent. You loved these quiet nights with your friends. Everything seemed so easy and peaceful.

“Don’t you think that guy looks like Brock?” You pointed to the screen.

“Yeah, but he’s nicer than Brock.”

“Um, Brock’s a massive douche,” you agreed. “Bucky told me that-”

In unison the girls repeated your last sentence, playfully imitating your voice. You rolled your eyes, they always made fun of you when you mentioned Bucky.

“When are you going to ask him out?” Wanda asked.

“Um, today’s Monday sooo,” you drawled out, then paused for a moment, pretending to think about it. “Never.”

“Why?” Wanda whined.

You chuckled nervously. “Because we’re friends.”

“Bullshit,” Natasha startled you, “that guy’s always touching you or calling you ‘ _doll’_. Honestly, it’s a little embarrassing.”

“Well, if he’s so interested in me, why doesn’t he ask me out?”

Natasha flicked a popcorn kernel at you. “Because you’re one of his best friend and he doesn’t want to lose you.”

You replied with a noncommittal sort of hum and turned your attention to the movie, letting the conversation die. The room fell silent as you all watched the movie. You and Wanda let out a started noise when something clunked against you bedroom window. Wanda clung to you like you were her lifeline.

“Chill out! It’s just a tree branch,” Natasha reasoned, rolling her eyes.

You tried to relax a bit, but it was difficult to ignore the rattling of the branches against the window. Wanda was still holding your arm tightly, her eyes glued to the window. You briefly wondered if there was a tree near your window.

A particularly loud tapping on your window startled you.

“Was that a knock?” you asked, brows furrowed.

With a groan, Natasha kicked the blanket off and jumped out of bed. She crossed the room to the window, unclasped the latch and opened it. She turned back to you and Wanda, still cuddled up under the blanket.

“See?” She gestured outside. “It’s just the wind, now can you please calm down?”

Pale, slender fingers grabbed her outstretched hand, closing around her wrist. She let out a powerful scream and tried to pull her hand free. She stumbled backward and tripped over Wanda’s messenger bag.

She fell on her butt as Bucky climbed into your room through the window.

“Thanks! I wasn’t you’d heard me,” he said.

Your eyes darted between Bucky and Natasha before you and Wanda burst out laughing. Bucky frowned as you and Wanda doubled over with laughter. He helped Natasha to her feet and she immediately swatted his chest.

“What the hell, Barnes! This isn’t Dawson’s Creek, you can’t do that!” she said, still fuming.

“I’m sorry, but the door is locked.”

“So, obviously, you climbed onto the roof… makes sense,” Natasha sneered before she turned to you and Wanda. “Yeah, okay, you can stop laughing now.”

“That scream-” Wanda said through her laughter. “Wow, a real horror movie scream.”

“Bravo!” you teased her, applauding.

Natasha said nothing, but if looks could kill, you and Wanda would have died right there… multiple times. Bucky threw himself on your bed and adjusted his body to a more comfortable position.

“What are you doing here, Bucky?” Natasha asked.

“Besides scaring the shit outta you?” he replied with a cheeky grin. He looked proud when you and Wanda giggled silently. “Sharon’s staying with Steve tonight so I need a place to stay.”

He laid his head in your lap and you ran your fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. He closed his eyes and sighed, almost purring under your gentle caresses.  

“Sam lives in the room next to yours,” you pointed out.

“Yeah, but he’s is expecting company. A woman with red hair who gets scared easily.”

“Fuck off!” Natasha grumbled.

“Hey! I never said it was you,” Bucky smirked, his eyes still closed.

You stilled your movements, your eyes growing wide as you stared at Natasha. You had no idea she was seeing him. She stood her ground, her hands on her hips and her emerald green eyes narrowed menacingly.

“Yes I’m dating Sam,” she finally replied after a long minute of complete silence. “And do you know why I’m with him?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Because he asked me out,” she articulated coldly.

Bucky sat up on the bed and stared at her, silently telling her to keep her mouth shut. A slow smirk tilted the corner of her lips as she held his stare. As the tension grew, you gave Wanda a pleading look.

“Right, I think we should go,” Wanda practically shouted.

She climbed off the bed and gathered her things while Natasha continued to stare at Bucky. You knew exactly what Natasha was trying to do. You were not stupid, you knew Bucky liked you more than a friend.

“Don’t you have anything to say to Y/n, Bucky? Or are you a бздун,” Natasha said, still grinning.

Wanda gave up. She dropped the shoes and bags she was holding and ran a hand down her face, sighing inwardly. You saw Bucky’s jaw clench and something inside you snapped. You had to do something.

You grabbed Bucky’s face and turned him to face you before you pressed your lips against his. His face registered surprise, his lips tentatively moving against your own. When you pulled away from him, his eyes were still wide with shock.

“I like you Bucky,” you said.

He blinked slowly, a dopey smile on his lips. He could still feel the heat of your kiss on his lips. You gave him a shy smile, hoping you didn’t scare him off.

“I like you,” he said, his voice a little lower than before. “A lot.”

He just looked too adorable with his pink cheeks and soft blue eyes. You giggled when he gently pressed his lips to yours. You vaguely heard Natasha and Wanda leave, but you were too busy kissing each other and preferred to ignore them.

In the hall, Wanda gave Natasha a dirty look as she closed the door behind her.

“C’mon! Someone had to do something. It’s was embarrassing.”


	27. Smoke Gets in your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost ten years after graduating from high school, you reunite with your childhood best friend, Bucky Barnes, and share some fond memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5714 words | Warnings: Language, Awkward Conversation about Nubbins, Talk of Loss of Virginity  
> Italics are flashbacks/memories

 

“Permission to come aboard?”

Bucky frowned at the sound of your voice before a nostalgic smile pulled at his lips.

Years ago, when Bucky was young and stupid, his mother forced him to play with the neighbour’s kid. You were a year younger than Bucky, barely anything, but he was six and you were-  _a baby_.

* * *

 

> _“I’m not a baby!” you replied breathlessly, clambering up the rope ladder to the treehouse._
> 
> _“Yes, you are! I don’t play with babies.”_
> 
> _You peeked your head into the treehouse and offered him your brightest smile. “Pretty please.”_
> 
> _He rolled his eyes, unimpressed. “No.”_
> 
> _“I’ll tell your mom.”_
> 
> _You looked over your shoulder at Mrs. Barnes who was trimming a row of flowers with pruning scissors. Bucky took a step toward you and gave you a hard look._
> 
> _“Don’t you dare!”_
> 
> _You took a deep breath as if you were about to shout Mrs. Barnes’ name, but Bucky cut you off._
> 
> _“Fine, permission granted.” He took a step back while you hoisted yourself into the treehouse. “I’m a space pirate, you can be my assistant.”_
> 
> _“No, thank you.” You shook your head. “I’m the leader of the New Alliance. My mission is to capture the evil space pirate who’s been stealing our stuff.”_
> 
> _“No, that’s not the game!” Bucky whined, stomping his foot._
> 
> _“It is now.”_

* * *

 

“Permission granted,” he replied, smiling.

He watched as you climbed into the treehouse. It was a little small for two adults. You quickly crossed the cabin and joined him near the window. He caught you in a bone crushing hug and pulled away to look at you.

“Watcha doin’ here?” he asked jovially. “I haven’t seen you in like, what, eight years?”

“Yup, almost a decade,” you confirmed, then ruffled his hair. “God, your hair’s a disgrace. I bet your mom gave you an earful.”

He pinched your cheek to wipe off your smirk and you playfully slapped his hand away. “She keeps saying I need a haircut.”

“Nah, you’re fine,” you waved him off. “It’s a little strange though. I mean hairdressers used to hide when they saw you. Your hair was your life.”

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “I wasn’t that bad.”

“You were a freak.”

“I haven’t seen you since high school and somehow it’s like we never left,” he said with a pout.

You bumped your shoulder against his, the gesture meant to be playful. He shot you a not-so-discreet side glance and grinned at you.

“I missed you, smartass,” he said affectionately.

“Don’t go soft on me, Buck.”

“So, watcha doin’ in this hell hole? Thought you were a big girl livin’ in the big city.”

You sighed inwardly as you leaned against the edge of the window. It wasn’t really a window, more like a square-shaped hole. Bucky mimicked your position.

“Your mom told my mom they were selling the house,” you said, admiring the scenery. “I wanted to say goodbye and when I got here I saw your  _spaceship_  parked out front. I asked your mom, she said you were up here.”

Bucky laughed softly. “You never liked my car.”

“It’s old and broken,” you argued.

“I’d rather fix something broken than buy a new one.”

You took a look at him. He was older, but he was still the boy who drove you all around town even though you said you didn’t mind walking. His long, chestnut hair framed his face, a five o’clock shadow dusted his cheeks and chin. He looked dark, mysterious and incredibly handsome.

You agreed with him.

* * *

 

> _You swung your backpack over your shoulder and waved goodbye to your friend as you made your way to the school bus. You were standing in line when Bucky slung his arm over your shoulders and pulled you away from the line that had formed in front of the bus._
> 
> _“Hey, smartass!”_
> 
> _“Bucky,” you complained, looking over your shoulder at the bus. “I need to take the bus, my shift starts in forty minutes.”_
> 
> _“Don’t worry ‘bout that,” he replied with a smile. “How was your day?”_
> 
> _You relaxed slightly. “Good. I got an A in math. Thank you for tutoring me.”_
> 
> _“What can I say, I’m Einstein.”_
> 
> _“And modest, too,” you teased. “Where are you taking me?”_
> 
> _“You’ll see.”_
> 
> _You entered the school parking lot and looked at him, your eyebrows tightened into a suspicious frown. He stopped next to a crummy looking car and gestured at it with a big smile on his face._
> 
> _“Tadaaaa!”_
> 
> _“Tada, what? You bought it?”_
> 
> _“Yes, smartass,” he said as he rounded the car. “Took me a while, but I finally had enough money to buy this little beauty. You like it?”_
> 
> _“Euuh.”_
> 
> _He scolded you when you scrunched up your nose._
> 
> _“As long as you’re happy,” you said._
> 
> _“I am!” he beamed. “Remember when we were kids and we used to pretend the treehouse was a spaceship? Well, that’s my spaceship and I’ll take my best friend wherever she wants to go.”_
> 
> _“Best friend?” you scoffed, crossing your arms. “I thought Steve was your best friend.”_
> 
> _He threw his head back, trying not to groan, then turned to you. “You’re my female best friend.”_
> 
> _You gave an exaggerated cringe. “Please, tell me you did not just say that.”_
> 
> _“Yes,” Bucky sighed. “And do you know why?”_
> 
> _“Enlighten me, oh, wise man.”_
> 
> _He tilted his head, a wicked grin slowly growing on his face. He enjoyed your banter, but he didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Quite the opposite, actually._
> 
> _“Because when I tell you that you’re my best friend, you ask me about Steve and when I tell Steve that he’s my best friend, he mentions your name. God forbid I have more than one best friend.”_
> 
> _You kept your arms crossed, but pouted whimsically to hide the grin forming on your face. Bucky burst out laughing and opened the passenger door for you._
> 
> _“C’mon, milady, get in or you’ll be late for work.”_
> 
> _You sat down and shifted a bit in your seat, trying to find a comfortable position. The springs of the seat were digging into your cheeks and backside._
> 
> _Bucky had a proud bearing and a satisfied look on his face as he started the engine, but his smile faltered when he looked at you. You fastened your seatbelt and smiled. You tried your best to look at ease, but Bucky knew you too well._
> 
> _“You’re afraid,” he said, hoping his sadness wasn’t utterly obvious._
> 
> _“It’s just…. it doesn’t look safe, Bucky.”_
> 
> _“Do you think I’d let my best friend sit next to me if I wasn’t 100% sure this car was safe? I took it to a garage **and**  I checked everything twice. Yes, it’s an old car and it needs a paint job, some new seats and whatnot, but it’s safe. Promise.”_
> 
> _You let your head fall back against the broken headrest. He looked so excited to share this moment with you. You smiled at him and nodded._
> 
> _“I trust you.”_
> 
> _“Thank you,” he said, smiling wide. “I think I deserve a milkshake.”_
> 
> _You snorted at his comment._
> 
> _While you worked, Bucky would usually sit at his favourite table and do his homework. You would serve him a slice of pie and a milkshake, free of charge because he was kind enough to wait until your shift was over to walk –now drive- you home._
> 
> _Your superior, Mr. Stark, wasn’t thrilled with this arrangement until he noticed that girls and boys followed Bucky Barnes wherever he went. In the end, giving Bucky a free snack was pretty lucrative so he treated Bucky like a prince._
> 
> _“I have a date today,” he said after a moment, then cleared his throat, “with Natasha Romanoff.”_
> 
> _“Wow, Bucky!” you cheered._
> 
> _He laughed softly. “Yeah, I was so nervous when I asked her out. I’m not usually like this, but Nat’s special, y’know.”_
> 
> _“I know.”_
> 
> _He pined after her for the past few months, but she didn’t seem interested. You wondered what had made her change her mind._
> 
> _“Can you not freak her out? Please?”_
> 
> _You let out an offended gasp. “I have never-”_
> 
> _“You told Wanda Maximoff I had a third nipple,” he cut you off, then glared at you when you started laughing. “It’s not funny! I know it was you!”_
> 
> _When he parked the car in front of the restaurant, you were still giggling. He pinched your arm to make you stop and you cried out in fake pain._
> 
> _“Well, that’s what you get for being the worst wingman ever. You told Sam Wilson I still slept with my teddy bear!”_
> 
> _“But you do!” Bucky argued. “You still sleep with that old thing I gave you years ago. It smells like cheese, I dunno why you keep it.” He sighed. “Now, because of you, Wanda thinks I have a nubbin and that’s not even true! You’re lucky she hasn’t told anyone.”_
> 
> _“I’m sorry, Bucky,” you said sincerely. “I shouldn’t have told her that.”_
> 
> _“And I shouldn’t have told Sam your pajamas had little cats and dogs on it.”_
> 
> _Your eyes widened. “YOU DID WHAT?”_
> 
> _“An eye for an eye,” he replied with a twinkle in his eyes, his lips curled back in a malicious smirk._
> 
> * * *
> 
>  

You took a deep breath as Bucky finished recalling his story.

“I can’t believe I did something like that. We were dumb.”

“We were young,” Bucky argued.

You slid down the length of the wall until you sat on the floor with your feet spread apart. Bucky followed you, the two of you facing the blank wall.

You broke the silence. “I always wondered why things didn’t work out between you and Natasha.”

“She thought you and I were secretly into each other.”

“Oh,” you replied, “I’m sorry.”

You turned your head to look at him when he poked your cheek. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, a regretful look passed over his features, and you briefly wondered why he looked so unhappy.

“S’not your fault,” he said with a shrug. Seeking to lighten the moment, he changed the subject. “Have you heard from Sam lately?”

You nodded. “He’s still in California. Married, two kids.”

“Good for him.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you remember  _the talk_?” Bucky asked with a grin.

You hid your face in your hands and groaned. “Oh, no, please, Bucky! It still haunts me at night.”

Laughing quietly, Bucky tilted his head to look at you. You looked more mature, more… sophisticated, though he supposed it was to be expected when one move to New York.

He used to be so protective of you. No doubt that your young, friendly face and naïve demeanour attracted all kinds of weird guys.

“Me too,” he replied quietly.

* * *

 

> _“Bucky, stop daydreaming!” you hissed in his ear as you walked past him to grab a tray. “Tony’s gonna fire you if you don’t do your job.”_
> 
> _Sheepishly, Bucky nodded._
> 
> _After graduating from high school, he began his studies in biology at the local university. He was still living with his parents, even though his commute was a little long._
> 
> _Bucky also worked part-time at Tony’s restaurant. He loved working with you. He liked the way you moved from one table to another, you made it look so easy._
> 
> _Three hours later, he flipped the OPEN sign on the door to CLOSED and sighed contently, knowing his shift was almost over. You were wiping off the counter when he sat on the leather-covered stool in front of you._
> 
> _“I’m gonna sleep for ten days,” he said._
> 
> _You were about to agree when Tony walked into the main room with a panic-stricken look on his face. You both turned to him as he made his way to the front door._
> 
> _“Kids, I have an emergency,” Tony said. “Can you hold the fort while I take care of it? I know you wanna go home, but-”_
> 
> _“Don’t worry, Tony, we’ll stay,” you interrupted, waving him off._
> 
> _He thanked you and rushed out of the room, disappearing into the night. You looked back at Bucky who had an annoyed expression on his face._
> 
> _“What?” you asked._
> 
> _“I wanna go home,” he whined. “I wanna watch reruns of That’s 70’s show in my bed and eat a greasy pizza.”_
> 
> _“Sounds healthy,” you teased._
> 
> _“Whatever,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You wanna hang out tomorrow?”_
> 
> _“Can’t,” you replied, folding the tea towel you’d been using. “I’m going to the mall with my mom and Nakia to buy my prom dress.”_
> 
> _You let out a squeal of excitement as Bucky ran a hand through his hair. He seemed to be choosing his next words carefully._
> 
> _“About prom,” he sighed, “I think we should talk.”_
> 
> _You frowned. “Um, okay?”_
> 
> _“Look, I’ve been there,” he said, fidgeting on the stool. “Everyone’s dressed to impress, everything’s magical and-”_
> 
> _Your throaty laugher cut him off. “You think I’m 10? We’re not living in a Disney movie, Bucky.”_
> 
> _“You’re impossible, you know that?” he groaned in frustration. “All I’m saying is you don’t owe Sam a thing.”_
> 
> _You stared at Bucky with a blank look on your face. You had been dating Sam Wilson since your junior year, not long after the pyjama incident. Your parents adored him, but Bucky couldn’t stand him._
> 
> _“What are you talking about?”_
> 
> _“I’m talking about-” he gripped the edge of the counter as he leaned closer and whispered, “-sex.”_
> 
> _You took a step back, your face twisted into a disgusted grimace. “Ah, no, I’m not talking about that with you!”_
> 
> _“It’s important,” he argued. “I lost my virginity on prom night. And if you’re considering having sex with Sam, I can help you.”_
> 
> _“Please, shut up,” you cringed._
> 
> _“First of all, men know nothing about sex. It’s a fact,” he said, ignoring your plea. “Second, use protection, even if it **‘kills the mood’** ,” he said in a gruff voice as he made air quotes with his fingers._
> 
> _“Bucky, I swear to God, shut up!”_
> 
> _“Grab a banana, I’m gonna show you how to put a condom on,” he said way too casually._
> 
> _“JAMES!”_
> 
> _He looked up at you. “What?”_
> 
> _“Stop talking! Please, it’s so awkward.” You took a calming deep breath. “You’re worse than my parents, Buck.”_
> 
> _“I just wanna make sure you know what you’re doin’.”_
> 
> _You smiled sweetly at him and combed his hair with your fingers. It was ruffled and out of place from constantly running his hand through it. He closed his eyes and leaned into your touch._
> 
> _“I appreciate your concern, James, but there’s nothing to worry about,” you said, pulling your hand away. “I love Sam and he loves me. We both know that what we have isn’t going to last. He’s moving to California and I’m going to New York, but we’re ready and it’s **our** decision.”_
> 
> _You had had a conversation with Sam about prom and after prom, and while it had crushed your heart to know your relationship was coming to an end, you felt at peace with your decision._
> 
> _Sam was a good man. He was kind and gentle and you knew you’d be safe with him._
> 
> _“You’re growing up,” Bucky said teasingly, “it’s terrifying.”_
> 
> _You rolled your eyes. “Get over it, old man.”_
> 
> _You rounded the counter to grab your coat and Bucky followed you with a big goofy smile on his face. You eyed him warily, knowing he was about to say something dumb._
> 
> _“Now let me tell you how I lost my V-card, so you know what to expect.”_
> 
> _“NO!” you screamed, then stuck your fingers in your ears and sang until he had stopped talking._
> 
> * * *
> 
>  

Bucky laughed heartily when he saw the look on your face. You nudged him with your elbow, only to come in contact with pure muscle. Your stomach made a little flip.

“Sam used to call you the Protector ‘cause you were always there when I needed you,” you recalled with a fond smile. “My parents said you were like my shadow.”

Bucky was silent for a moment, his gaze lost somewhere in the past. You closed your eyes and listened to the sounds of children playing. When Bucky spoke, you kept your eyes closed.

“It was my mom‘s fault, she brainwashed me.” You could hear the smile in his voice. “When we were kids, she’d look me in the eye and say, ‘You take care of Y/n’. After a while, it became natural.”

You said nothing, but snuggled closer to him and rested your head on his shoulder. He took this as a silent thank you and turned his head to press a kiss into your hair.

“What do you do now?” you asked.

“I’m an engineer… well, I’ll be once I find a job.”

“You still live here?”

“Yeah, I live above Tony’s restaurant, but now it’s a coffeehouse. He still owns it, though, and I still work there.” He made a short pause. “How’s New York?”

A long sigh escaped your lips. “I’m someone’s assistant. I thought it’d be different. I’m just a fish in the sea, I’m like everybody else.”

“You’re one in a million,” Bucky replied.

“Maybe here,” you shrugged, “but in New York, I’m not special.”

“Come back.”

He turned to you and moved fast, sitting on his knees in front of you. You pulled your knees closer to your chest and avoided his big blue eyes.

“I can’t, Bucky, I need this job.”

“Sounds like you hate your job,” he chuckled dryly. “C’mon, you didn’t come here after all these years just to say goodbye to my parents. Why are you really here?”

Still unable to look at him, you shrugged. You didn’t want to cry in front of him. He moved slowly and cupped your face, forcing your head up.

“Look at me,” he said softly. He waited until your thick, wet lashes lifted and your eyes met his. “Do you remember the night before you left town?”

Of course you remembered. You closed your eyes as Bucky’s voice transported you back to  _the night_  you’d never forget.

* * *

> _The night before you left town, you and Bucky took the going-away gift Tony had prepared for you, a picnic basket filled with your favourite food, and went to the treehouse. The treehouse was where you and Bucky became friends, where you spent most of your time, even though you were both young adults now._
> 
> _Graduation had been bittersweet. Your parents and Bucky took about a hundred photos of you and Sam in your graduation gowns. It had been a lovely day, but the next day Sam left for California and you spent the entire day crying your eyes out._
> 
> _That was almost two months ago._
> 
> _“You sure you’ll be safe in New York?” Bucky asked after a long moment of silence._
> 
> _“I’ll be fine.”_
> 
> _He watched you carefully, but saw nothing in your reaction to worry him. He tried to convince himself that you were a grown woman, but every time he looked at you he saw that sweet little girl who had worked her way into his life._
> 
> _He wouldn’t have it any other way, but the thought of not being there for you was painful. It did not help that his father had casually mentioned that over 500 people had been murdered in New York the previous year and that it was a dangerous place for a young woman. Especially a young woman who had been living all her life in a small town._
> 
> _Needless to say Bucky was terrified._
> 
> _He needed to be strong. You were no longer a child he had to protect, you were a young woman with a head full of dreams._
> 
> _“You worry too much, James Barnes,” you said with a kind smile. You brushed a thumb over the ridge of his cheekbone in an attempt to ease his fears. “It’s getting late, we should go home.”_
> 
> _“We are home,” Bucky reminded you with a grin. “The treehouse belongs to my folks.”_
> 
> _“Yeah, but I’m not a member of the Barnes household.”_
> 
> _“You kinda are.”_
> 
> _You got to your feet and started to gather the dirty plates into the basket. Bucky followed your lead and helped you clean up the mess._
> 
> _Your parents knew you were in the treehouse with Bucky, they were not worried, but it was dark outside and there wasn’t much light from the streetlamp because the tree was in the way._
> 
> _Bucky climbed down the rope ladder and jumped to the ground. He placed the basket down and waited for you. Once you had your feet on solid ground again, you turned to face Bucky._
> 
> _“So this is it, uh?” you said, rubbing your arms with your hands to keep yourself warm. It was the middle of August, yet a slight chill crept into the air._
> 
> _“I guess.”_
> 
> _“Give me a hug,” you requested with your arms stretched out._
> 
> _He leaned forward and opened his arms, waiting for you to embrace him back. The whole street was plunged into darkness. As he tilted his head to kiss your cheek, he missed and kissed your lips instead._
> 
> _You both stood still for a short moment. When you pulled back, you both mumbled apologies and exchanged nervous chuckles. His arms were still wrapped around your torso, your chests almost touching._
> 
> _When neither of you moved, Bucky searched your face anxiously, trying to gauge your mood. Your eyes were like two opals catching what little light there was. His heart was thumping. Each pulsation boomed in his ears like a drum echoing in a silent room._
> 
> _Taking a chance he prayed he wouldn’t regret, he pressed his lips to yours again, only this time it was intentional._
> 
> _He breathed a soft, relieved sigh through his nostrils when you returned the kiss. Something snapped within him. His hands cupped your face as he backed you up against the tree, his lips claiming yours in a hungry, soul-sealing kiss._
> 
> _The quiet, delicate noises you made only spurred him on. He squeezed his eyes shut, streaks of black, yellow and red fireworks exploded behind his closed eyelids. You grabbed his shirt in your fists and kept him close, matching his ferocity with your own._
> 
> _His lungs were begging him to do the natural thing and breathe. But there was no air, only you. The kiss was a jumble of tongue, teeth and lips moving desperately._
> 
> _He wasn’t sure who broke the kiss, but now he was panting heavily, his forehead pressed against yours. He wished he could see you clearly in the dark, make out every feature of your face._
> 
> _He panted, chest rising and falling as he basked in your warmth. Heat in his muscles made him feel like he was going to burst into flames. He wondered if your felt the same way._
> 
> _“Goodbye, Bucky.” And just like that, you slipped away from him, taking your warmth and the softness of your skin with you._
> 
> _He wanted to follow you, to talk about what had just happened. Fear crept into his stomach and he felt as if he had crossed a line. He was rooted to the spot, unable to speak or move._
> 
> _You were gone now, yet his lips were still wet and warm to the touch._
> 
> _Bucky never really thought of you as more than a friend. Sure, he knew you were a good-looking girl, maybe not conventionally beautiful, but you exuded vitality and goodwill and that added to your charm._
> 
> _He stood there like an idiot, looking flustered and worried._
> 
> _Bucky remembered the day Natasha had told him it was painfully obvious you two were into each other. He remembered the day you had stopped by to tell him you were dating Sam Wilson. They never got along, even though you kept saying they had a lot in common._
> 
> _The answer came to him like a sudden flash of light in a dark place._
> 
> _Bucky Barnes was madly, terribly, wholeheartedly in love with you._
> 
> * * *
> 
>  

Your eyes were shiny with unshed tears, but you had somewhat managed to keep yourself in check. You didn’t know the kiss had had such an impact on Bucky. Yet the raw emotion in his voice tugged at your heart.

“I want you to know I never meant to confuse you or hurt you in any way. I’ve always had deep feelings for you, not romantic feelings though, but that kiss…,” Bucky trailed off, unable to explain how utterly natural it had felt.

You let your head fall forward. Bucky waited patiently, his hands now resting on your bent knees. The silence in the treehouse was deafening. It seemed like minutes went by before he spoke again.

“I think I didn’t like Sam because we were too similar or maybe it was because he was a better version of me… I dunno, but I swear I’ve never tried anythin’-”

“I know,” you replied softly.

He heaved a small sigh of relief, it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He knew you might not share his feelings, but that didn’t matter to him right now. Sam had been your first love –your first lover- and Bucky would have never deliberately stood between you and him. He wanted to make sure you knew that.

Bucky let you process for a moment and sat back next to you. He rested his head against the wall behind him and stretched out his long legs before him. He looked completely spent, his body and his mind were exhausted.

“I’m sorry, Bucky.” Your arms were locked around your legs, and your forehead pressed against your knees.

He closed his eyes and tried to control his quivering chin. He wasn’t sure what you were apologizing for, but he didn’t take that as a good sign. He resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall and, instead, took a deep breath.

“I should have stayed that night,” you continued. “I was confused and I didn’t know what to say.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Bucky replied.

“No, but I ran away and it wasn’t right.”

Your voice was stronger this time and it made him open his eyes.

“I was supposed to come back home for Thanksgiving that year, but I told my parents I had too much work. It wasn’t true,” you said, turning your head to meet his eyes briefly. “And when my mom told me you were spending Christmas with Steve and his mother, I figured you didn’t want to run into me either.”

“Yeah,” Bucky scoffed lightly. “I was afraid of your reaction – I still am. I didn’t want things to be awkward between us. I was afraid to lose you.” He looked at you and found you staring at him. “I guess avoidin’ each other only made things worse.”

“Well, it certainly didn’t help,” you replied, trying to lighten the mood.

“Anyone ever told you that you’re a smartass?” He cocked his head and flashed a teasing smile in your direction.

“Jerk,” you said without animosity.

The mood in the small treehouse shifted, the air suddenly saturated with unspoken questions. It was subtle, but Bucky was good at sensing subtleties.

He didn’t want to ruin the moment, but there was a question he had to ask, even if he was terrified of the answer.

“Do you ever think about me?”

His body tense as he waited for your answer. It could have been an innocent question, but his tone implied something else. He braced himself, half expecting you to reject him.

He could feel our gaze on him, but his mind and body buzzed with anxious energy and he refused to meet your eyes.

“I think about you all the time,” you admitted.

His lips curled in an adorable boyish smile and he lifted his arm to make room for you. That sweet gesture had been burned into his muscle memory by a thousand repetitions, no conscious thought or intention involved.

You scooted closer into the curve of his body and rested your head on his shoulder. He tucked you close to his side and let himself enjoy the touch of another human being.

“I wonder what would have happened between us if I’d stayed here,” you said, then looked up at him. “I almost didn’t go to New York, you know? I tried to make up some lame excuse to stay here, but it didn’t work. I don’t regret leaving town, but I wish we’d stayed in touch.”

“Yeah, me too,” Bucky replied in a whisper.

The light of the falling sun shone through the leaves of the tree, casting a golden hue on the walls of the treehouse. It was a beautiful shadow play, one you and Bucky knew well.

Bucky exhaled a shuddering breath. His parents’ house had been sold to a lovely couple. This would be the last time he’d sat in his treehouse, but at least you were by his side again. It almost felt too good to be true.

“We have so many memories here together,” he said, his thumb absently rubbing circles over your skin. He felt you shiver. “Sorry, are you cold?”

“No,” you said with a breathless chuckle, “it just feels good.”

If he had not been sitting there with you, he would have smacked himself on the forehead. Of course you were not cold. It was warm outside, just like the night he had kissed you.

His simple touch made your skin tingle and that thought made his heart flutter. There was no doubt in his mind that you had come back because you needed him in your life. And God knows he needed you.

Taking his silence as rejection, you asked, “Is it too late for us?”

“No,” he replied almost instantly, making you both chuckle.

“Good, because I think you ruined me for other men.”

Nothing could have prepared him for the overwhelming emotions that had ripped through him as you looked up at him. You laid your hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat fast.

Bucky became too self-conscious to sit still so he tried to shift his body in a futile attempt to find a more comfortable position. He told himself that you were just messing with him.

“I’m not teasing you,” you said, sensing his insecurity. “You’re my best friend. I haven’t seen you in eight years, but it’s like I never left. And trust me, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this comfortable around someone. I’ve tried dating, but everyone seems pretty bland in comparison to my best friend.”

Bucky didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing for a while and then figured it out. “You really mean that? ‘Cause it sounds an awful lot like the things you say when I daydream.”

“You daydream about me?” you asked, pulling away to look him in the eye.

He instantly missed your warmth, but he knew that if he played his cards right, you’d be cuddling with him a lot more. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to comb back errant strands.

“I should’ve kept my mouth shut,” he grumbled.

He sat cross-legged with his head down and smiled to himself while biting his bottom lip. He glanced up at your through his lashes, but his face wrinkled into a scowl when you started laughing.

“God, I never thought I’d be on the receiving end of  _the smolder_.”

“I wasn’t smoldering,” he argued, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

“Yes, you were. I’ve seen that look on your face before. You do that when you’re flirting.”

Like a petulant child, he folded his arms across his wide chest and huffed, “You’re impossible.”

“You’re such a child!”

You leaned into him and tickled his sides. He clenched his stomach muscles and watched you try to make him laugh. When you realized he wasn’t going to budge, you took a page out of his book and huffed out indignantly.

Your annoyed gasp made him turn his head slowly. You narrowed your eyes playfully at him and he gave you his best Zoolander look. You burst out laughing and he joined you the next second.

The tension slowly left your bodies. It felt good to laugh after what you’d just talked about. Bucky had not planned to have an extended conversation with you about the kiss. Two hours ago, he didn’t even know you were back in town.

Finally, you both calmed down and wiped the tears from your eyes.

Without breaking eye contact with Bucky, you bent your head, moving until your lips were a breath away from his. He licked his lips and closed his eyes before you closed the distance.

He parted his lips, opened his mouth and allowed your tongue to slip into his mouth. His senses were saturated with the scent and taste of you.

You kissed him gently, tenderly and Bucky felt like he was floating in slow motion. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you against him.

Bucky Barnes was still madly, terribly, wholeheartedly in love with you.

“When you’re goin’ back to New York?” he asked when you came up for air.

He found it hard to focus on anything when you started pressing kisses to the underside of his jaw, your head tucked into the crook of his neck.

“In a couple of days.”

He knew your life was in New York. You didn’t love your job, but it was only temporary. This job would soon become a springboard to something bigger and better.

At that exact moment, Bucky decided he’d never let you go again. He had done that in the past and he regretted it every day. He had not known that what you two had was a once-in-a-lifetime love.

“It’s getting’ late,” he said, kissing your temple. “I’m starvin’, let’s go eat somethin’. My treat!”

You gave him a questioning look. There were so many unanswered question, the biggest one of which was ‘ _What are we going to do now?_ ’ He smoothed away the lines caused by your frown with his finger and promised you that everything would work out for the best.

There was nothing left for him in this town. His engineering degree was collecting dust, sitting unused in his drawer. Maybe New York was the answer to all his questions.


End file.
